Eyes of Gold, Car of Silver
by TimePasses
Summary: What if Bella decided to get groceries on her first day in Forks? Before she met Edward? BE. My first Twilight fic. Fluffy.
1. Accident

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. But I really wish I owned Edward. Don't we all?

This is my first Twilight fic. It starts out on Bella's first day in Forks. What if she had decided to get groceries?

Accident.

How could every single person in that supermarket already know my name? Why was it that I had to tell at least fifteen people that I go by Bella, not Isabella? It was only my first day in this town and people were talking to me like we had known each other forever.

I contemplated how difficult it would be for me to adjust to such a small town as I walked home from the store. My truck was beautiful and I couldn't wait to use it, but I had to give myself something to look forward to for tomorrow. The pain of my first day at a new high school might just be dulled if I could have a good drive to and from school, however short.

The pavement passed by slowly beneath my feet. After all, I didn't have much to go home to. This road was absolutely deserted, and I took advantage of it, moving to walk in the center of the road.

I wasn't watching the road in the least, and I was completely tuned out to any sound around me. Which was probably why I didn't know exactly how fast a small yellow corvette was going until it hit me from behind. I felt myself flying, and for a short moment the only pain I was aware of was in my back, where the car had hit me. But then I hit the ground. I heard my arms snap against the pavement first, then my back again, and then my head hit with a deafening crack.

A car door slammed a few yards away from me, and I forced my eyes open as the sound of footsteps grew louder. A large woman with long white hair approached me cautiously. Upon seeing me, she muttered a number of profanities before turning and rushing back to her car. My eyes slipped closed again as I heard an engine revving and a squeal of tires as she swerved around me and continued down the road at more than fifty miles over the speed limit.

I groaned, attempting to roll out of the middle of the street but giving up when I heard a sickening crack and a sharp pain erupted in my wrist. I lay there for a few minutes, helpless, until I heard the hopeful sound of a car approaching. The headlights shone through my eyelids, and I was grateful to hear brakes squeaking.

For a moment I thought that the woman who had hit me was returning. But once I had found the strength to reopen my eyes, I found I was wrong. This was a boy, about my age. His eyes were gold and his car was silver and I had never seen anything so glorious.

He approached me slowly, hesitantly, his face screwed up in concentration. He paused when he was three feet away from me, seeming to consider turning back. His eyes were a bit alarmed, but that was to be expected of someone who just found a dying girl in the middle of the street. I knew I was bleeding rapidly, but I couldn't bring myself to look at anything but him.

I panicked as he cast a glance back at his car. "Please," I tried to whisper, but even I couldn't hear any sound come out of my throat. He did. His head whipped back around, and his anxious eyes locked with mine immediately. His expression became determined, his jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed slightly. He marched toward me with a finality that didn't seem necessary. After all, it didn't seem like it would be too hard to walk a couple of steps.

He knelt next to me, his light golden eyes a mixture of sadness and anxiousness and…hunger? His arms lifted me with ease and he pulled me lightly against his muscled chest, and I couldn't help but notice that it was completely still. He wasn't breathing. He walked us back to his car, placing me gently in the passenger seat and closing the door behind me. He was starting the car before the door had shut, which seemed awfully impossible to me, but I couldn't very well think about it at that moment.

We had only been driving a few minutes in silence before I became even more aware of the blood I was covered in. I chanced a glance at my arm. Bad idea. I caught a whiff and an eyeful and I was unconscious within seconds.

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I'll try to update soon!

Please tell me how you like it; I'm not sure if I'm good at Twilight writing.


	2. Explanation

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything. Shocked? Me, too.

I drifted in and out of consciousness as the gorgeous boy sped us down the road, in the opposite direction of my house. Each time my eyelids seemed heavier. Each time I was awake for a shorter span of time than the last. And he was constantly casting me nervous glances, indecision raging in his eyes.

Once, just as I was waking up, his face was so close to mine, and I could see every perfect line of his angelic face. It almost made the pain worth it. Almost. He bent closer to me, looking straight into my eyes, deciding…and then he bent his head to my neck, ran a cold finger down my throat, and bit me. Hard.

I struggled against him, trying to push him away, but he was strong. Inhumanly strong. He pulled away, but the pain didn't stop. He had set a fire in my neck, a big one. I stared up at him, alarmed, afraid now that he couldn't be trusted.

"No, don't be scared," he pleaded hastily, analyzing my terrified expression. "I'm sorry, I had to, it will be over soon, I promise." I wasn't soothed. I let out a sob as the pain spread down my neck, to my chest.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't…I just couldn't…" he stared down at me, his face screwed up in an agonized grimace. It seemed as though he was trying to cry, but couldn't. "You're going to be ok." I thought he was lying, just trying to calm me out of guilt. In that moment I tried as hard as I could to hate him through the pain, to be so mad at him.

But it was impossible. I tried not to believe him as he continuously muttered calming words while speeding around the twists and turns of the road. But his golden eyes were too sincere, too concerned. I believed him in spite of myself, calmed slightly. The pain came and went unexpectedly, flaming in different parts of my body each time.

He slowed and turned onto an invisible road, or driveway rather. A magnificent white house stood before us, and before I could register the sheer size of it, he had stopped the car and opened my door. I stared up at him in shock. How had he gotten there so fast? But I had little time to contemplate as he lifted me into his arms again.

The pain was less overwhelming at the time, so I was thinking clearly enough to be embarrassed. Here was this beautiful boy, carrying me into his house. "I can walk," I muttered feebly, unable to take my eyes off his face.

He started, and then looked down at me in surprise. "Aren't you in pain?" he asked in awe.

"Yes," I answered truthfully. "But you don't have to carry me. I know I'm not that light."

He stared at me in utter disbelief for a moment, then realized I wasn't kidding and rolled his eyes. "Ridiculous," I thought I heard him mutter.

Just then, a sudden and unexpected wave of pain hit me, the fire consuming my entire body. I gasped, squeezing my eyes shut. I was vaguely aware of the boy speeding up as the wind came more quickly against my face.

I heard the door swing open before he had climbed the steps, and a worried female voice. "Edward! Edward, I'm sorry, I should have seen it sooner, you killed her, didn't you, you couldn't help it. She was your singer. I wouldn't have been able…she's breathing!" Her already high-pitched voice hitched up an octave in surprise.

"Yes, Alice, she's breathing. She's alive." The boy, apparently named Edward, confirmed. He walked right past her, into the house. A renewed wave of pain washed over me and I could barely hear Edward call, "Carlisle!" through the pain in my head.

I felt something soft beneath me, and the pain eased very slightly. I couldn't find the strength to open my eyes for hours, but I could hear bits and pieces of conversations between the boy, the girl, and five other voices I couldn't identify.

"I don't know how long she was lying there," I heard Edward murmur. "She had lost so much blood already…I had to…" I floated into unconsciousness then, wondering what he said he had to do. Wondering why I was still alive.

Each time I awoke, someone was there with me. Whether it was the handsome boy from the street, the delicate-looking girl, or an unidentified face, I was never alone. It was unclear to me how long I was asleep and how long I was buried in the flames of pain, but I could feel it dimming after what seemed like years.

Painfully slowly, the fire dimmed and extinguished, and I opened my eyes cautiously to the face of my savior. I pushed myself into a sitting position, looking around me. He and I were the only people in the room.

"How do you feel?" he murmured, staring down at me analytically.

"Fine, I guess. But I don't…understand," I breathed.

"You're in my house," he supplied hopefully.

"And who are you?" I tried not to let him know how small I felt in that moment, next to this magnificent boy, in his magnificent house.

"I'm Edward Cullen," he informed me, outstretching his hand in my direction. I took it and shook it lightly, letting go sooner than I normally would have. It felt odd to be in contact with him…I couldn't identify the feeling, and that was what scared me.

"Bella Swan," I introduced myself softly, looking away from the force of his golden eyes. "Not to be rude or anything, but why am I in your house instead of an emergency room?"

Edward sighed, leaning toward me slightly but casting his eyes downward. His grim expression frightened me. "You were hit by a car," he began slowly.

"You're kidding," I said sarcastically. His eyes snapped up to meet mine, surprised but amused. "Sorry," I added shyly.

"I found you in the street," he continued, the smallest of smiles on his face as he looked at me. "I was going to bring you here, to have Carlisle look at you before I did anything."

"Carlisle?" I interrupted.

"My foster-father. He is a doctor," he explained patiently.

"Okay. Go on," I instructed calmly.

"But you were losing too much blood too fast. You were dying. The car that hit you had to be going unbelievably fast to have caused so much damage to your head," he muttered, not looking at me. I was listening intently now, and the smile had vanished from his lips. "I didn't want…I couldn't…you…"

"What?"

"I don't know why," he started thoughtfully, sadly. "But I just couldn't…I was terrified at the thought of you dying. Completely horrified." His eyes were wide as they floated back to mine. The agony in them was heartbreaking. I found myself on the verge of tears, the more I stared into the pained topaz pools.

"I still don't get it, though," I protested. "Why am I still alive?"

"Bella, our family, we're not normal. We're not…human." Edward paused, looking up at me to gouge my reaction. I stared at him quizzically, uncomprehending. "We're vampires."

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	3. Proof

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns it all

Chapter 3

_Recap: __"Bella, our family, we're not normal. We're not…human." Edward paused, looking up at me to gouge my reaction. I stared at him quizzically, uncomprehending. "We're vampires."_

I sat for a minute, the idea not fully sinking in. But as it settled, my eyes widened. I wasn't sure if he was joking or insane or…telling the truth.

"But…vampires aren't real," I stated dumbly.

"We're real, Bella. And we're vampires. You and me. And my family." Edward said sternly, his eyes boring into mine.

"Me?" I repeated lamely.

"I didn't have a choice, Bella, I had to change you or you would've died. If I hadn't-" He was talking extremely quickly.

"Prove it," I interrupted. I wanted to believe him or prove to myself that this whole concept was just a silly joke.

"What?" Edward asked, confused.

"Prove to me that we're vampires," I demanded, uncharacteristically bossy. He stared at me in disbelief for a moment, then gave a small chuckle before standing up.

"Fine," he agreed, offering me his hand. I stared at it blankly. "Come on, I'll prove it," he directed. I obeyed, following him to the door and out into the sun.

At first I wasn't sure if I was about to burst into flames or turn to ash or something, but nothing seemed to be happening. I turned to Edward questioningly, and gasped. His shin was sparkling. Literally shining, the sun reflected off his arms and face. And I realized, upon inspecting my own arm, that I, too, was glittering unnaturally.

"Holy crow," I muttered, turning my hand in front of my face slowly, wide-eyed. I shifted my gaze to Edward, seeing him with new eyes. He was even more handsome, standing tall before me, shining brilliantly. He was looking straight at me, grinning defiantly, as though proud of himself for proving me wrong.

"Whatever," I scoffed. "Like I was just going to believe that I'm a vampire automatically…trust a complete stranger…"I trailed off. That cocky grin was still plastered across his face. He was adorable.

"So you believe me now?" Edward asked.

"Yes. There's not really another explanation." I pointed out.

"Why aren't you upset?" he asked me cautiously.

"I don't know…I'm not losing much, really. I wouldn't see my mom anyway, since I moved out here, and I don't know my dad that well. I don't have many…"I trailed off as an alarming thought hit me. "How long was I out?" I asked him urgently.

"Three days," he answered promptly.

"Crap! Charlie! He doesn't know anything! Crap, he'll send out the whole Forks police department to look for me and-"

"Bella!" Edward interrupted quickly. "We've got it covered. We already gave him our cover story."

"But…how did you know who my dad is?" I asked, tilting my head to the side quizzically.

"There was a wallet in your pocket with your license and last name. Everyone knows where people live around here." He explained casually.

"So, what's the cover story?" I inquired curiously.

Edward hesitated, glancing at me nervously. "It was the only explanation I could come up with that didn't involve you dying. We told your parents that you and I had met before. And that I was the reason you wanted to come to Forks. And that we eloped," he told me carefully, watching me out of the corner of his eye. "This way, your parents aren't completely heartbroken, and you can still be in contact. But you wont see them in person for a while. Especially not any time soon."

"How come?" I asked.

"Firstly, you look different. The transformation…alters peoples' appearances. But more importantly, you have to keep your distance because of the blood lust factor," he explained solemnly.

"So…our cover story is that you and I are in love and we eloped?" The incredulity in my voice was almost tangible.

"What's wrong with that?" he sounded genuinely offended, and he wore a hurt expression.

"Anyone who has seen both of us won't believe it," I stated matter-of-factly.

"Why not?" Edward demanded.

"Because…you look like that and I look like me," I told him, hoping he'd pick up on the hint.

"So I'm not good-looking enough for you?" he asked, sounding angered and depressed at the same time.

"No! No, that's not what I meant. The opposite," I contradicted.

He finally caught on. "Have you looked in the mirror lately?" he smirked.

"No, but I have looked in it enough times to know that, compared to you, I'm-"

"I told you earlier," Edward interrupted. "that the change altered your appearance. You may want to take a look." He suggested with a crooked smile, looking down at me.

The way he was staring at me made me want to take his advice. "Okay," I agreed. "Lead the way."

Edward took me by surprise, grabbing my hand and marching back into the house, up the stairs and around a corner. We ended up in a gigantic bathroom with a Jacuzzi and beautiful tile floors. It was two times the size of my old bedroom. At least. I gazed around in awe. When my gaze fell upon the mirror and I saw my reflection, I gasped.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

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	4. Power

Disclaimer: Still not mine

Chapter 4: Power

Recap: I gazed around in awe. When my gaze fell upon the mirror and I saw my reflection, I gasped.

It was definitely me. I was recognizable. But my eyes were a frightening shade of red. My skin was much paler and my hair a bit darker and longer. My arms and legs were slimmer and I could swear I was just a bit taller. My cheekbones were more defined and my chest was fuller. My waist had shrunk just a little. And, as I thought about it, I realized that I hadn't fallen or even tripped at all since I had woken up.

"I look…"I managed to mutter as I moved past the initial shock.

"Gorgeous?" Edward supplied, grinning down at me sweetly.

"Different," I finished as I watched the blush rise to my cheeks at his comment.

"How are you blushing?" His eyes were wide and his voice was laced with confusion.

"I don't…"I trailed off in confusion. I wasn't sure why he was looking at my tomato-red reflection so strangely. "What?" He continued to stare at me reflection in awe, and I stared right back at his for a heart stopping moment.

"You shouldn't be able to blush…"Edward started quietly, reaching around and grasping my chin to turn my head so that we were face to face. He looked much taller than I remembered. "The blood that makes you blush is being used for energy…it shouldn't…" he spoke softly, staring me straight inn the eye. The hand that rested on my chin reached up to stroke my cheek. All I could do was stand there, wide-eyed and helpless. His proximity made it too much of an effort to think. He held his hand there for a few seconds before he seemed to realize what he was doing. He dropped his hand slowly, his eyes never straying from mine.

"I was…" Edward began, his voice cracking. "I was checking if it was warmer or not." He explained in a murmur.

"And?" I asked, my voice breathless. The atmosphere wasn't one that you would usually come across between two people discussing blood.

"It's not. Blushing was probably a really strong trait in your human life. I'm guessing you just carried it with you."

"Great," I mumbled sarcastically. We lapsed into an awkward silence, looking anywhere but each other, though he was certainly better to look at than the wall.

"Do you want to meet my family?" Edward suggested finally.

"Should I change first?" I was still clad in the clothes from the accident, bloody and torn.

"Sure," he agreed. "You can shower in here, and there are clothes on the top shelf of that closet," he instructed, pointing. "My sister shopped for you, she said they would fit. But be prepared. She'll force you to shop with her too many times to count, just in the next week. She's an addict," he laughed. I groaned. Edward stared down at me, shocked. Judging by the size of the house, he was used to girls who actually enjoyed spending money.

_I'll have to watch out for her._ I thought, deciding if I should actually say it out loud or not.

"Yes, you will," Edward chuckled. I looked up at him in surprise.

"What?"

"Yes, you will have to watch out for her," he repeated.

"But…I didn't say that out loud," I was beginning to feel slightly insane. But Edward's face lit up with excitement.

"Bella! That's your power! You can send thoughts!" he shouted, grabbing my hand and dragging me down the stairs. "Carlisle!" he called once an attractive blond came into view.

"Yes, I heard you. Bella can send thoughts. But are you sure it's not simply your power suddenly working on her?" the blond asked skeptically.

"Your power?" I repeated nervously. "What's your power?"

"I read minds," he muttered to me casually.

"What?!" I asked, alarmed. All those things I had thought about him, how handsome he was…

"Not yours, though," he added, looking a bit upset.

"Oh. Good." I breathed, relief flowing over me. Edward shot a glare in my direction.

"Bella, try to send a thought to me, please. Just to me," the blond instructed calmly.

_What is your name,_ I thought at him.

"Carlisle," he answered aloud.

"Told you!" Edward yelled excitedly. "I was right, wasn't I?"

"Yes, Edward, you are correct. Now let Bella get cleaned up before we introduce her to everyone else." Carlisle directed.

Edward nodded obediently, taking my hand again and leading me back upstairs. My hand in his was beginning to feel regular already, but each time we came in contact I swear I felt a shock.

"Was that your brother?" I asked him as we reached the landing, forgetting our earlier conversation about his doctor foster-father.

"No," Edward chuckled, looking back at me humorously. "That's my foster-father."

"Oh," I responded lamely, feeling like an idiot. He looked extremely young.

We reached the bathroom and parted, him telling me that I'd be able to find him when I finished. There were too many controls on the shower handle, and not enough symbols. So I ended up taking a cold shower, but I didn't mind much, as long as the crusted blood was washed away.

The top shelf of the closet was crowded with extremely expensive clothes. The total cost of it all was probably about as much as my truck, if not more. This family was obviously rich, judging by the size of the house and the way this Alice person had spent so much money on me before she even knew me. But that made sense. They didn't have to buy food and Carlisle was a doctor.

I stepped out of the bathroom after pulling on a light blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans, trying to keep it simple. Edward was waiting just outside the door, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, a calm and serene look spread across his features. He appeared not to have heard me, as he was lost in thought.

"What are you thinking?" I whispered, trying not to scare him.

He jumped in surprise, looking around guiltily as if I had caught him shoplifting. "Nothing," he answered quickly. "I was simply wondering where the rest of my family is."

Apparently he thought I was stupid.

"No, I don't!" he contradicted. I flinched, realizing that I had accidentally thought it directly at him.

"I need to learn to control my power," I muttered to myself, walking away from him toward what I thought were the stairs.

"You will," he reassured me, snatching my hand and pulling me in the opposite direction. "And the stairs are this way."

OOOOOOOO

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	5. Meet the Family

Disclaimer: It's Stephenie's

Chapter 5: Meet the Family

"So," I began as we descended the stairs to the living room. "You read minds, but not mine?" My tone was slightly mocking.

"Correct," Edward confirmed, shooting me a frustrated glance.

"And does that happen a lot?" I inquired, genuinely curious.

"No. Never. It's just you," he informed me, his tone thoroughly confused.

I smirked, satisfied although I, too, was confused. We reached the landing of the stairs, opening up to a majestic living room.

Six lovely people sat before me, staring at me curiously. I hastily dropped Edward's hand. One girl was pixie-like, the one who was there when I was first entering the house. Another girl, this one blond, was intimidatingly beautiful and was seated on the lap of an extremely muscular boy with dark hair. A less large but still strong-looking dirty blond leaned against the back of the pixie-like girl's chair. The man named Carlisle was sitting on a couch next to a young, pretty woman with brown hair.

They each introduced themselves politely. The pixie-like one was Alice, and her husband, Jasper, was the dirty blond behind her. The blond girl was named Rosalie, and her dark-haired husband was called Emmett. Carlisle was married to the brunette named Esme, and they served as the family's foster-parents. It was very clear to me that Edward was the odd man out. Everyone but him was a couple. I couldn't help but be happy about that fact. It could come in handy later.

"I'm Bella Swan," I told them all once they had finished. The back of my throat burned as I spoke, scaring me.

"How are you feeling?" Carlisle asked kindly.

"I'm fine, I guess. Except…" I trailed off, afraid that the burning in the back of my throat could mean something horrible.

"What is it?" Edward asked me quietly, his face worried.

"Just this…burning feeling in my throat. It's nothing, I guess, it just…" I trailed off at the grimly knowing look on Edward's face.

"You're thirsty," Edward informed me bluntly.

"You mean…for blood?" I asked nervously, my eyes widening. I had never liked blood. Actually, I had always had a very strong dislike for blood. The smell, the color…everything was too nauseating.

"Yes," Carlisle answered. "You can choose our way of life and become a part of our family. We would be more than happy to have a new member," he offered warmly. "Or, you can feed the way most of our kind feeds…from humans."

"So…what do you feed from, if it's not humans?" I inquired, confused.

"Animals," Edward replied from beside me. "Their blood quenches the thirst, it just doesn't…taste as good, or smell as good as human blood does." He looked reluctant to share this information with me, watching me carefully to gouge my expression.

"Control is a difficult thing to learn, but we'll be with you every step of the way if you choose to live like us," Carlisle promised kindly.

"I don't want to kill people," I stated meekly.

"Would you like to live with our family?" Edward asked softly, his eyes a bit nervous.

"I would love to," I decided, my voice filled with a finality that made this real for me. Alice squealed with delight and leapt to where I was standing, giving me a peck on the cheek. Rosalie eyed me speculatively, as if deciding if she liked me or not, then came forward, her hand outstretched.

"I'm Rosalie," she informed me quietly, although I already knew her name. "Rose," she added, her tone a bit kinder.

"Bella," I told her quietly, shaking her hand.

"Welcome," she said with a small smile.

"Thank you." She was quite a bit taller than me, and her analyzing gaze made me uneasy. She turned and walked up the stairs, looking back once to check if Emmett was behind her.

"Coming," he called, standing up.

It only took him two steps to reach me, and when he did he wrapped me in an unexpected hug. I stiffened, surprised. His size was terrifying, but it seemed his personality was softer than I had expected.

"Hi," I said awkwardly into his shirt.

"Later, sis," he grinned, bounding up the stairs after his wife. I smiled, loving how I already felt I belonged with these people.

"Bella!" Alice called excitedly, hopping up from her chair but not taking any steps. "There's an adorable little mall, just outside Washington. No one there would recognize you and…"

"Alice," Jasper interrupted, smirking. "Don't you think we should let Bella get used to…this change before you take her shopping? There'll be quite a bit of fresh blood in a mall, that wouldn't be the best predicament to put her in on her first day."

"Of course not," Alice said, looking offended. "I never said today," she pointed out. "But sometime. Whenever you're ready," she assured me seriously. "Until then, I'll shop for you." Her eyes brightened noticeably as she spoke, and an anticipating smile broke out across her face. She skipped up the stairs, Jasper on her heels. I frowned at her back. I didn't want this lovely family to have to spend any money on me at all.

"Welcome to our family, dear," Esme smiled, wrapping me in a gentle hug. I grinned warmly at her.

"Thank you," I said softly. She was more mother-like than my own mother. As much as I loved my mother, she didn't exactly take care of me. She was too random, too forgetful, and I always ended up cooking and cleaning for her.

Carlisle stayed where he was. "We're glad to have you, Bella. Edward will show you to your room."

"All right. Thank you," I repeated. The words 'thank you' were sounding extremely redundant at the moment. I looked up at Edward as they exited the room quietly.

"Hello," he grinned awkwardly. Neither of us was sure what to say to each other. I concentrated on not letting any thoughts of mine slip through to him. He was staring at me so intensely, though, and I was sure I couldn't have kept everything to myself. I knew a blush was quickly rising to my cheeks as his eyes held mine.

As I looked into his copper pools, one of my concerns from earlier came back to me. "How come my eyes are red and yours are topaz?" I asked him suddenly. He blinked, obviously startled by the difference between the intense atmosphere and the trivial topic of eye color. It took him a moment to answer.

"When human blood is in your system, it makes your irises red. Your blood is still in your body and it's being used as energy right now. Don't worry; it will wear off before too long. You may want to wear contacts when you go out in public, though." He suggested.

"I'll remember that," I laughed. He was still staring at me intently, and I found it impossible to avert my eyes.

"C'mon," he commanded, snatching my hand once more. I hoped my sharp intake of breath wasn't audible to him. "I'll show you your room." He pulled me up the stairs, too quickly for my liking, and dragged me down the hallway.

Two doors stood close to each other to my right. "Alice and Jasper. They knocked out the wall in between, so it's just one room now," he informed me as we passed them. We sped up another flight of stairs, and two doors, almost the same as on the floor beneath them, stood side by side to my right. "Esme and Carlisle. One room," he repeated. "And that's Carlisle's study," He pointed to a door on my left.

He tugged me along behind him, up another flight of stairs, where two more doors stood, the same as all the others. Edward led me into one, stopping abruptly and making me run into him as we entered. He turned just as I was stepping away from him, and I scolded myself for wishing I had waited just a bit longer to move. "This," he whispered, staring down at me. "Is my room."

OOOOO

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	6. Rooms

Disclaimer: It wasn't mine a few days ago; it's not mine now.

Chapter 6: Rooms

_Recap:__"This," he whispered, staring down at me. "Is my room."_

I gazed around the room curiously. There was no bed, which I didn't understand and decided to ask him about later. _Or…do we really sleep in coffins?_ Edward laughed loudly beside me, staring down at me amusedly. Apparently I had let that thought slip.

"No," Edward said once he had finished laughing. "We don't sleep. We can't sleep." His eyes grew sadder as he spoke, making me think that he wasn't as happy with his life as he let on.

"Well," I started brightly. "I've always thought sleeping is a waste of time. So many hours that we have to waste being unconscious, but there's no way around it." He looked at me contemplatively, and I occupied my eyes with the rest of his room.

"Geez!" I called when my gaze fell upon his wall of music. "Have you ever counted all these?"

"Yes. But I've added to it since then." I turned back to Edward in admiration. There had to be hundreds of CDs on this wall. He was looking straight at me, instead of at his music collection as I expected. I knew full well that I was blushing darker and darker with each second he looked at me, but I couldn't honestly say that I wanted him to look anywhere else.

"Which one is your favorite?" I inquired as the tension became unbearable.

"My favorite what?" he asked, blinking slowly.

"CD. You've got so many, I don't think I can choose," I sighed honestly.

"Oh. Me neither. Anything but country is fine with me," he chuckled.

"Same here. All of the country songs sound pretty much the same to me." I rolled my eyes. He didn't seem to have anything else to say on the topic, and I couldn't come up with a new one. We stood at a loss of a conversation topic for a while, simply looking at his CDs.

"You're welcome here any time. If you were…wondering," Edward informed me awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot and looking at his carpet.

"Thanks," I said softly, turning away from him to conceal my blushing face.

"Would you like to see your room now?" he offered politely, nodding toward the door.

"Sure," I agreed, though I felt I could stay in this room with him, looking at his CD wall for days. We walked back into the hall and through the door right next to Edward's. My heart fluttered as I realized that the only difference between Edward and my living arrangements and everyone else's was the wall in between.

I expected an empty room. Just a boring set of walls for me to decorate on my own. But the area was already furnished. A black couch with blue details occupied the left wall. A large TV sat against the right side, and a window made up the entire wall in front of me, just like in Edward's room. I expected that entire side of the house was just one huge window.

"Do you like it?" Edward asked nervously after I had remained silent for a few minutes.

"This is great!" I answered enthusiastically, turning to him with wide eyes. A shelf of books stood to my right. My books, from my house. I turned to Edward, confused. "How did you…?"

"I went to your house and picked up some of your things. To help with the cover story. You probably would have packed some of your belongings before heading to Vegas." Edward explained quickly.

"Yeah, about that," I began, my eyes narrowed. "Even though I look…different now, since the transformation, people haven't seen me like this. Everyone still thinks of me as the girl I used to be. The one who is _so_ too average for you."

"That is not true," he contradicted firmly.

"How would you know?" I shot back at him swiftly.

"I told you, I've been at your house. There are pictures all over the place," he remembered matter-of-factly. "I don't think you've changed much, actually."

"Liar," I muttered, though I felt my cheeks turn red.

"No, honestly. You were far from average, even as a human," he complimented, staring down at me affectionately.

"I think you were looking at the wrong pictures," I muttered, my eyes locked on his glistening topaz orbs.

"That said 'Isabella, age fourteen' on the back?" he asked me skeptically. I paused, trying to picture that photo. It wasn't in a frame, I was sure of that. And then it hit me.

"You went through my dad's photo albums?" I screeched, mortified.

"I wanted to get to know you better," he defended himself, looking a bit worried.

"And you couldn't have done that in the next hundreds of years?" I challenged, my voice rising swiftly. The thought of Edward seeing all of my pictures, from when I was an infant to now, was terrifying. But I couldn't help but feel flattered that he would spend his time learning more about me.

"I was just…I felt like I needed to…I was curious!" His gaze was pleading, apologetic, and I couldn't stay genuinely mad at him for longer than two seconds. For some reason, though, I wanted to have this argument with him. Both of us knew that we weren't really upset, but it was an excuse to talk to each other without anything becoming awkward.

"Curious about what I looked like twelve years ago?" My tone was one of forced incredulity.

"Yes," Edward confessed, his voice much quieter.

"Why?" I asked, lowering my voice to match his. For some reason, I felt like I knew him so well already. And I liked him.

"I…I don't know," he whispered, his brow wrinkling in confusion.

"Bella!" A booming voice rang from downstairs. "Have you ever played baseball? It's so slow the human way, but our way…" Emmett appeared in the doorway, his eyes bright with excitement.

"No, I don't think me and baseball would go so great together…" I predicted, basing my prophecy on the many times I had fallen over thin air. I didn't need to be running toward things to trip over in order to end up seriously injured. And I certainly didn't need a bat to give myself a concussion.

"Okay, great, see you out there in ten minutes," Emmett called over his shoulder as he exited the room. "You're on Edward's team!"

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	7. Run

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Chapter 7:

Recap: "Okay, great, see you out there in ten minutes," Emmett called over his shoulder as he exited the room. "You're on Edward's team!"

I turned to Edward slowly, my eyes wide with terror. "Edward," I whispered frantically. " I can't! I don't play baseball-I don't play _sports_! I don't know how…"

"Bella!" Edward interrupted firmly. "That was when you were human. You may not be so clumsy now that you're a- like us," he finished delicately, as if he was afraid to upset me with the word.

"You mean a vampire?" I questioned, smirking slightly.

"Yes. A vampire," he agreed, his eyes twinkling.

"But, still, I don't know the rules or the terms or anything! I'm going to be horrible, and then you'll hate me because we'll lose and-" My stomach churned at the thought of Edward hating me.

"Bella, stop it," Edward commanded, grasping my shoulders and turning me toward him. "I won't hate you. Even if you're the worst baseball player I've ever met in all my years of baseball playing," he promised. His mouth was grinning but his eyes were serious. "And that's a lot of years."

"How old are you?" I inquired curiously.

"Seventeen," he replied darkly.

"Seriously," I insisted.

"I was born on June twentieth, nineteen oh one." He informed me.

"Oh," I breathed, surprised but not letting this inconsequential fact change my opinion of him. His large hands still held my shoulders, keeping me just a couple of feet from his face. He stared down at me sadly, as if he was in pain. I hated to see anything but a smile twist his perfect features. "What?"

"I'm sorry," he choked, blinking hard as if he thought he would cry.

"For what?" I was thoroughly confused, wanting to know what was making this wonderful person so upset.

"For…what I did to you," he whispered, his agonized eyes piercing my own.

"What did you do to me?" I asked, my forehead wrinkled in worry.

"I forced you into this life, Bella. I didn't give you a choice," His strangled whisper was full of bitter regret.

"You saved my life, Edward, and you're apologizing for it?" I asked skeptically.

"This is hardly a life, Bella," he muttered darkly. I was surprised by his sudden change of moods. One second, he was convincing me to play vampire baseball and the next he was apologizing for not letting me die.

"I'm still here, aren't I?" I challenged. I wanted to bring him out of this dark mood he was suddenly in.

"Yes, you're here. But you're not living. We're just…existing," he growled.

"I'd rather just exist than be dead," I decided.

"But I didn't know that when I changed you. I didn't give you any say in this eternal half-life. I should have let you choose," he glared stubbornly.

"If you had, I would have chosen not to die!" I shouted with a finality that made him shut up. "Now, let's go win a baseball game," I demanded, willing to play baseball if it meant cheering him up. "Shall we?" I marched out the door and turned down the hallway. I couldn't hear him behind me. "Coming?" I shouted, feigning irritation.

"Yes," a velvet voice answered softly, just inches away from my ear. I started, my eyes widening. I turned to Edward, angry and ready to yell my head off. But the second my eyes met his, I forgot why I was angry. They glistened with restrained mischief, a dangerous side I hadn't seen so far. There was still sadness deep in the golden spheres, but at least it was now buried by other emotions.

"Well let's go, then," I said softly, tearing my eyes from his and continuing down the long hallway.

"Wrong way!" I heard Edward warn me laughingly. I growled in frustration, coming to a halt but not turning around.

"I'll never get used to it!" I vowed quietly.

"Yes, you will. In time," Edward soothed, taking my hand softly and leading me in the right direction. I had only spent a bit more than one day of consciousness with him, but we already fit together, arguments and all.

We exited the house in silence until something dawned on me. I was surprised I hadn't thought of it before. "Hey," I started. "Where is Rosalie and Emmett's room? I didn't see another set of stairs after yours, and I don't remember seeing it downstairs."

"It's in the basement," he told me hesitantly. He knew that more questions were coming, and I knew he didn't want to answer them.

"How come they wanted the basement?" I probed.

"They didn't," he answered shortly.

"Then why is their room down there?"

"Because the rest of us wanted them downstairs," he informed me grudgingly.

"How come?" I knew I sounded extremely annoying, but I was curious, and he wasn't giving me very full answers. Edward turned on me, frustrated.

"They make a lot of noise," he began. "At night." He stared down at me expectantly, hoping I would take the hint. It took me a second, but I understood.

"Oh," I muttered, embarrassed as the blush rose to my face.

"Can we go now?" he demanded, tugging on my hand. His expression was irritated on the surface, but his eyes were undoubtedly amused. I nodded, and he took off running, pulling me along behind him.

I didn't realize how fast we were going until we reached the trees. They flew by us so quickly that all I saw was a solid wall of green and brown. "Edward!" I called nervously, not slowing down. "How fast are we going?"

Edward turned around slowly to give me a crooked smile that made my breath catch. "Fast," he stated simply, speeding up just a bit. "Race you," he dared, pulling on my hand still.

"Fine, but I-"I began to protest, knowing this competition wouldn't be fair in the least.

"Go!" he shouted excitedly, speeding up rapidly. I pushed harder, willing my legs to carry me through the forest faster than his were carrying him. The surprise that I hadn't tripped or run into anything yet forced me faster, passing him with ease. My hand slipped from his as the distance between us grew. I kept running for about five minutes before looking over my shoulder to check Edward's progress.

He wasn't there.

I slowed and halted, the sinking feeling of being alone overwhelming me. "Edward?" I called warily. An evil chuckle sounded from just behind me. I spun around to face…no one. I could have sworn I heard something.

"Edward! That's so not funny!" I shouted at the trees. I stood in silence, listening for any sign that he was near.

"Boo," whispered a velvet voice. I could feel his breath on my face, smell him. He was so close. I turned to face him, angry.

"You're horrible!" I accused loudly.

"It was funny and you know it," Edward insisted quietly, still extremely close to me.

"To you, maybe, but not to me," I retorted, glaring at him. "I didn't know what to do!"

He softened at my helpless expression. I really would have been thoroughly lost if he wasn't with me. "I'm sorry," he murmured, claiming my hand and leading me just a few feet ahead of us.

The trees vanished after just a few steps to reveal a wide-open space. Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper stood close together on one side of the field, and Alice stood impatiently on the opposite side, staring expectantly at the sky. As Edward and I entered the field, her eyes snapped to us, then to our entwined hands. I didn't bother to wriggle out of his grasp this time. She had already seen it, and there was no point in denying that I felt comfortable this way.

"Okay," she started, her tone business-like as she strode over to us. "Here's the plan."

XOXOXOXOXOXO

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	8. Game

Disclaimer. Not mine.

Chapter 8:

_Recap: __"Okay," she started, her tone business-like as she strode over to us. "Here's the plan."_

"We need a plan?" I asked skeptically. It was baseball. It seemed to me that the only plan would be to smack the ball hard.

But Alice and Edward turned on me, disbelief plastered across their faces. "Sorry," I muttered, staring at my shoes. They both laughed, turning to each other.

"All right, so I've seen just a _bit _of how this whole game will go," she began, her gaze shifting between Edward and me.

"You've what?" I interrupted, nonplussed.

"She can see the future," Edward answered casually. "That's her gift."

"Oh. Okay, go on," I said, looking back to Alice with new eyes.

"So, Emmett will be their pitcher. That's really all I could tell for sure, in the category of positions," she informed us quickly, glancing over to where they stood in a group. "Bella, I saw him pitching at you. You've got to distract him or you don't stand a chance."

"Gee, thanks," I cut in.

"You know what I mean, Bella. Now, you're going to have to use your power a bit," she instructed quietly.

"But I don't know how-" I protested frantically.

"I know, Bella, but I'm positive you can figure it out. Trust me. I've seen it happen," she soothed.

"Fine," I replied, determined. "What should I say?"

"Well, if you were Rosalie, this would be a whole lot easier," Edward grinned.

"But I'm not," I reminded him slowly.

"Right. So, just send him thoughts about random things- things that are difficult to understand, to make him think," Alice directed.

"All right. I'll try," I promised, putting on my best intimidating face.

"Edward, you've got to dig in to their thoughts," Alice insisted, rounding on him. "Tell us what they're thinking about, and especially Bella. Her knowing their thoughts will make it much more effective to send _them _thoughts." I was quite a bit confused, but I wouldn't let them know it.

"I'll keep my eye open for any more flashes, and I'm sure I can let Edward know. Bella, if Edward can get to you, great, if not…sorry to keep you in the dark," she apologized insincerely.

"Got it." I was beginning to get nervous about the whole thing. The family was extremely competitive, and I had never played a sport before. With the exception of gym class, at least.

"Okay. Are we all ready here?" Esme questioned excitedly, trotting over to where we stood.

"I think so," Edward answered uncertainly.

"Aren't you playing?" I asked as she turned to leave.

"No. Carlisle and I will be referees, just for this game," she said with a wink before walking back to a log she was sitting on with Carlisle.

"Everyone ready?" Carlisle asked after a few minutes. He was speaking in a normal talking voice, yet I could hear him perfectly.

"Yep," Emmett answered, too confidently for my liking.

"Let's go!" Alice shouted to Emmett competitively.

_Edward,_ I thought at him deliberately. He cocked his head slightly in my direction. _Good, it works. Edward, I'm not sure I should play._ He turned to me entirely, his eyes full of confusion and concern. _I don't think I've got the…over competitiveness that Alice and Emmett have. _

"You'll do fine," he whispered.

And he was right, in the beginning. Alice was the pitcher and the other team put up a great fight. I was amazed, at first, at the incredible speed at which the game was going. The ball soared to me a few times, and I hesitated a bit too long to throw it. Emmett's team had 6 runs by the time it was our turn to bat.

Edward was up first, looking adorably cocky. Emmett's pitch was faster than Alice's, but not as strategically placed. Edward hit it hard, provoking a thunderous sound to rumble the trees. The small white sphere flew quickly out of sight, and so did Rosalie. Edward raced around every base about thirty seconds was even within eyeshot. He grinned, turning to me proudly. I nodded my approval, smiling slightly.

The plan said that it was my turn next. I said otherwise. _Alice, you go next,_ I thought at her. She turned to me with an eyebrow raised high. _Please,_ I added desperately. She softened noticeably, nodding, then turned to the field and marched to her place. Alice only made it to second base before the territory became unsafe.

It was my turn. I rose from my seat unsteadily, taking the bat in my hands. Emmett stood in front of me, smirking, twirling the ball in his hands. He wound up incredibly slowly, giving my nerves time to make me feel sick. _Did you like cake when you were human? _I thought at him swiftly. His hand dropped to his side and his forehead wrinkled in confusion and surprise. I grinned inwardly, but maintained an innocent expression on the outside.

Emmett stared at me contemplatively for a moment before shaking his head quickly and winding up once more. I waited longer this time, until just the right moment. _I know why your room is in the basement, _I thought at him just as he was about to release the ball. His own shock affected the quality of the pitch and made it almost to easy. I hit the spinning ball as hard as I could, then ran as fast as possible. My brain barely registered each of the bases as they zoomed by me. I knew Edward was running in front of me, but I never considered the fact that I was a lot faster than him.

His speeding form didn't register in my mind until I had run into it. We rolled a few times, landing directly on home plate with him on top of me. It took him a second, but he lifted his weight off of me, putting his arms and legs on either side of my body. He looked down at me seriously for a moment before I busted out laughing. Edward joined in hesitantly, chuckling quietly at first, then building up to a full-out laugh, his head thrown back to reveal his porcelain throat.

The rest of the players sighed impatiently, but I took no notice of them. Edward looked down at me finally, catching his breath, an irresistible twinkle in his eye. My laughter died down immediately as the intensity of his stare overwhelmed me. I could've sworn he was leaning closer, slowly but surely.

"Hey!" a booming voice from across the field shouted. "Get a room!"

"Shut up, Emmett!" Edward commanded, his eyes ablaze with embarrassment and fury.

"Let's just play, why don't we?" Rosalie insisted coolly.

Edward glanced down at me one more time, regret evident in his eyes.

The remainder of the game went quickly and smoothly. Our teams alternated, scoring a few points each. The score ended up relatively close, considering the fact that Alice was practically a one-man team after the home run incident. Sure, we there. But I could say for a fact that my mind wasn't in it. And, judging by his frequent glances to where I sat, neither was his.

As we ran home together, hand in hand, somewhere in the back of my mind, I felt sorry for the other team.

I wondered what it would feel like to lose to two people who weren't even watching the ball, and a skinny girl who seemed so incredibly anxious to get the game over with that she was running before the pitch had fully rebounded from her bat.

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To be perfectly honest, I don't know much about baseball, but I hope everyone liked it anyway!

Reviews make me write inhumanly quickly.


	9. Hunt

Disclaimer: It's all Stephenie's.

Chapter 9:Hunt

The next couple of days passed by slowly. Everything between Edward and I had been a bit awkward since the baseball game. It was funny, I thought, how those few seconds had changed so much. If it had been Emmett that had landed on top of me, nothing would be different.

But it wasn't Emmett. It was Edward. And Edward and me just couldn't get over the awkwardness of it all. Alice, I discovered was certainly the person to vent to.

"I don't know what to do," I confided one day after she had given me the tour of her room. Of her closet, rather. "We just… can't…I think I like him."

"I think we all do," Alice giggled, though I was sure she knew exactly what I was talking about.

"You know what I mean," I accused. We sat in a thoughtful silence for a moment before I remembered one important fact, one that could ruin everything. "Alice!" I screeched, leaping off her bed in a panic.

"Bella!" she returned, calm.

"He can read your thoughts! What if he can hear you _right now?_ I can't talk to anyone! He'll find out!" I rambled, my eyes wide.

"Bella, forget it. Lots and lots of years with Edward have taught me that sometimes, you just have to think about something else. I wouldn't trust Emmett, though. He's not exactly in control of his thoughts. He's really quite underdeveloped for one of us, actually," Alice warned me casually.

"So he won't find out, then?" I asked, seeking confirmation.

"No, not unless you _tell him,"_ Alice hinted deliberately. "Which you really should, eventually."

"Eventually," I repeated, reluctant. I hoped beyond hope that my infatuation with him would just go away, so that I could be his friend again and nothing would be awkward.

"Okay, great. You've only known him a few weeks, though," she reminded me as she glided to her door. "Maybe it will pass," she said sarcastically, and with a doubtful roll of her eyes, she was gone. I sighed, not failing to notice the growing feeling of the fire in the back of my throat.

It would come and go, so I figured I didn't have to worry too much about it. I was incredibly nervous about my first time hunting. Although I was perfectly aware that it was a whole lot better than murdering humans, I was reluctant to kill any animal with my bare hands. But, deep down, I felt that the time for me to get out there and hunt was approaching, and fast.

I was stalling, and I knew it. Over the course of a couple of days, every member of the Cullen family had asked me if I was thirsty at least three times. And each time I would tell them that I was fine, that I would just wait a bit longer. My room was becoming familiar to me, as well as Alice's. Rosalie didn't seem to have any problem with me, nor any desire to associate with me for the time being. Esme frequently asked me how I was doing, if there was anything she could do for me to make me more comfortable.

But I was comfortable. For the most part. Days seemed so much longer as they blended into nights and I never felt drowsy. This new way of life was difficult to get used to, but I was sure the Cullens were making it as easy as possible for me.

Finally I couldn't hold it off any longer. The burning in my throat had become unbearable after three weeks, and so had Edward's silence. I vowed to straighten things out with him after I got home from the hunt.

I wandered into Carlisle's office and down the stairs, but he wasn't anywhere in sight. "Carlisle?" I called softly, knowing he would be able to hear me if he was in the house.

"Bella?" The voice behind me wasn't Carlisle's, but Edward's. I spun to face him, already feeling my cheeks getting hot.

"Oh, I was just looking for Carlisle," I told him awkwardly.

"He's at work," Edward informed me apologetically.

"Oh. Okay, then I guess I'll just go find someone else," I muttered, turning back to the stairs.

I heard Edward sigh loudly behind me, and I hesitated before mounting the first stair. "Wait!" he protested quickly. I turned back to him hopefully. "What do you need? No one else is home."

"I just wanted…I need to hunt," I told him hesitantly.

"You haven't hunted yet?" he asked dubiously. I shook my head. "At all?"

"No. It sounds sort of…complicated," I confessed.

"No, you'll get used to it. The longer you wait, the harder it is. You need your strength," he said, staring at me, his eyes full of concern.

"All right," I agreed. "Let's go, then."

"Okay. Let's go," he repeated, turning to the door. I followed him out into the yard, where we both burst into a full-out run. A vampire run, at that. Edward hadn't told me where we were going, so I simply ran in a straight line for a while, always keeping Edward in sight. Five minutes into the run, just as I was beginning to relax and enjoy the run, I felt a strong tug on my wrist. I glanced back to see Edward taking a sharp right, staring back at me expectantly. I followed him, his hand always pulling lightly on my own.

Edward came to a halt in no particular area of the dense forest. "Why-" I started, curious as to why he chose this spot to stop in.

"Shh!" Edward cut me off hastily, the pointer finger of his free hand flying to my lips. "Look," he mouthed, pointing to a space just a few feet in front of us. There stood an entire herd of deer, one male and at least ten females. "Don't kill the buck," he whispered, bending close to my ear. "If the buck dies, the herd has to find a new one or they can't reproduce." I nodded my response, extraordinarily nervous. No supernatural instinct was rushing to me all of a sudden-I could barely even smell the blood of the mammals before me.

Just then, a strong gust of wind carried from the deer to my nose. And I couldn't contain myself. I crept into the herd and drained two larger females, being sure to kill them fast to spare them the pain.

"Good!" Edward complimented, impressed. "That was great! Clean and everything! Are you sure you got enough?"

"Yea, I'm fine," I responded shakily, forcing my eyes away from the bodies of the deer.

"They didn't feel a thing, thanks to you. That was the least painful way for them to go. You'd be surprised at some of the ways these animals die, honestly, you were perfectly considerate," he complimented, taking away the initial guilt that I had felt.

After thinking about it for a moment, I realized that this wasn't much different from the way most humans lived. I had always loved meat, which meant an animal was dying for me to eat. This way was just cheaper. I grinned at the last thought, and Edward stared at me curiously. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," I dismissed swiftly, walking back the way we came. A cool breeze floated our way, but there was something on it. The light wind carried an amazing, delicious scent, similar to the deer's but more tempting, irresistible. I took off like a shot, not even realizing what I was doing.

"Bella!" I heard Edward call frantically from behind me.

But I was already running.

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	10. AClearing

Disclaimer: Stephenie's

Chapter 10: A…Clearing

_Recap: "Bella!" I heard Edward call frantically from behind me._

_But I was already running._

I didn't know exactly why I was running. I was aware that my body somehow felt it needed to get to that intoxicating scent, but I couldn't think of anything important enough to make me run away from Edward. But my legs kept running, whether I told them to or not.

"Bella!" Edward's voice was getting closer to me somehow. But…I was faster than him. "Bella, concentrate. _Slow down," _he coached loudly. I willed my legs to listen to my mind, to slow their pace just a bit. I barely managed to persuade my legs to falter before something crashed into me from behind, knocking me to the ground.

I flipped over onto my back, trying to free myself, but my hands were pinned firmly above my head. My eyes opened to find Edward's topaz ones, inches from mine. "Bella, concentrate. Don't move," he instructed, staring into my eyes intently. It was extremely hard, however, to think about anything but him when he was so extremely close. My legs still kicked and my arms still struggled, without my mind's consent.

My fighting was futile, though. Edward's hands held my wrists firmly above my head, and his legs straddled mine to restrain my kicking. And then the wind changed directions, and the scent was gone. Just as quickly as it had hit me, it just…disappeared. Edward stared down at me cautiously, still holding me down. "Bella?" he whispered warily.

"Holy crow," I croaked, terrified. "What did I almost do?" It was a rhetorical question, as I knew what I had been so close to doing. I had almost killed a human being. I had almost murdered someone.

"It wasn't your fault, Bella," Edward murmured, climbing off of me and standing up, offering me his hand. I took it, needing the support to stand up.

"How is it not my fault?" I retorted, looking straight ahead, in a daze. "I almost…"

"_Almost,_ Bella. But you didn't," Edward pointed out softly, leading me off to our right, walking slowly for once.

"Because of you," I whispered gratefully.

"Bella, I-" Edward started modestly.

"No, Edward, you saved someone's life today," I murmured, turning and looking at him in admiration. He didn't get the chance to respond, as I gasped directly after I tore my eyes from his. We were standing in a meadow. A perfectly symmetrical, colorful meadow with green grass and wild flowers. "What is this?" I asked him breathlessly.

"A…clearing," he responded, watching my face carefully.

"It's beautiful," I murmured to myself, gliding to the absolute center and sitting down.

"I like to come here, to be alone," Edward answered quietly, strolling over and taking a seat next to me.

"But you're not alone now," I contradicted.

"You're right," he responded, staring at me thoughtfully. "I'm not alone now." We both knew that his words could be comprehended in a few different ways. He gazed down at me, his golden eyes not releasing mine. I almost jumped when he leaned forward, moving ever so slightly closer to me.

"You know," I whispered quietly when the tension became unbearable. "It's funny."

"What's funny?" Edward inquired, though he didn't look like he cared too much.

"Your ability is that you can receive thoughts," I began, watching his expression change from detachment to mild curiosity. "My ability is that I can send them," I finished. Edward stared at me contemplatively, an extremely slight grin lighting up his features. His eyes were locked on mine and full of an emotion I couldn't identify.

"Almost like we were…" Edward trailed of uncertainly, his golden pools looking extremely vulnerable. He glanced down, his dark eyelashes falling beautifully against his pronounced cheekbones.

"Almost like we were what?" I whispered hopefully. Our faces were extremely close together. I could feel his breath coming and going steadily on my face as he stared at me.

Edward opened his mouth to say something, closed it and opened it again. "Nothing," he sighed, defeated. "Never mind." I restrained a disappointed sigh. We sat in silence for a moment, and somewhere within that period of time, my hand had found its way to his. His thumb rubbed circles in my palm, tickling my hand.

"Thank you," I breathed finally, breaking the silence.

"What?" he asked confusedly, sounding a bit startled.

"If it weren't for you, I don't even want to think about what could have happened today," I sighed, shuddering at the thought.

"You'll gain control in time," he assured me. "And then you won't need me anymore." I held back a laugh. His words reminded me of some melodramatic movie. But then I realized he was serious.

"Edward, that's not true and you know it. I'm years and years from being as controlled as you are. I don't know how you managed to bite me without killing me," I marveled, referring to that fateful day three weeks ago.

"But when you _do _learn control…" he argued, refusing to look at me.

"Then I'll still need you," I whispered seriously and firmly. He looked up at me in surprise at my stern tone.

"For what?" he asked incredulously. I thought for a moment. If I told him that I wouldn't necessarily _need _him, he was sure to be hurt. But if I told him that I was madly in love with him and couldn't imagine spending one day without him, which was probably the truth, he would most likely freak out. And I would sound like a cheesy romance novel. I settled on doing the one thing I had wanted to do for quite a while.

"For this," I replied quietly, summoning my courage and leaning closer to him. I hesitated, just centimeters from his lips, worrying. What if he didn't think of me like I thought of him-constantly? His eyes were closed, his face a mask of perfection. I exhaled, taking in the unbelievable loveliness of him. Edward opened his eyes slowly to my nervous ones. Understanding flashed in his eyes before a determined look dominated his entire gorgeous face. His jaw set, his free hand abandoned the grass to nudge my chin toward his own.

Our lips only barely brushed before he pulled away, leaving me dazed. He stared down at me longingly for a moment before leaning down to touch my lips with his again. His kiss was gentle, hesitant. I returned it carefully, savoring the taste of him. His lips moved slowly against mine for an immeasurable period of time until his hand pulled my head closer. His tongue brushed my lip lightly, sending shivers down my spine.

Edward pulled away abruptly, breathing heavily. His eyes were content as he let them drift closed, kissing my cheek affectionately. "Meant to be," he whispered in my ear.

"What?" I struggled through the fog in my head to try to figure out what he was talking about.

"Your power and my power. It's almost like we were meant to be," he finished happily, kissing me softly again.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

My cousins are coming to town so I'll be pretty busy for a while…. it will take A LOT of reviews to give me the determination to update soon! Please tell me what you think!


	11. Beliefs

Disclaimer: Stephenie's

Chapter 11: Beliefs

_Recap: __"Your power and my power. It's almost like we were meant to be," he finished happily, kissing me softly again._

I pulled away, smirking. My head was spinning. All I could see was Edward. His topaz eyes glistened with happiness, and then, suddenly, dimmed and became sad. He looked away from me, turning his head to look at the trees behind us.

"Edward?" I whispered, worried. I brought my hand up to his face, turning his head to look at me. He gazed down at me with pained eyes, his hand grasping tighter to mine. "What-" I started to ask, but he cut me off.

"I really am sorry," he told me in a strangled whisper. His agonized golden eyes held mine. I didn't know what to say, how to make him smile again. "I don't deserve-" I cut him off, crashing my lips to his again. He kissed me back for a moment before pulling away with a regretful moan. "Bella, I do _not _deserve you," he insisted.

"Why?" I whispered.

"I stole your mortality, Bella," he said crossly. "Your _soul _is lost because of me." His head dropped to his hands, and he inched away from me, my hand slipping from his. I sat for a moment, considering what he had told me.

"You don't honestly believe that, do you?" I finally asked him dubiously. Edward's head snapped up.

"Yes. I do," he said firmly.

"And the rest of your family agrees?" I challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"Well…no, but-" he started defensively.

"So, you're the only one?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes. Just me." Edward watched me cautiously, wondering where I was going with this.

"And you are also the only member of your family that is single, correct?" I interrogated.

"Correct," Edward confirmed slowly, his eyes transfixed on mine.

"In other words, you are the only one that hasn't found your _soul mate?_" questioned deliberately.

"Bella, that's a figure of speech," Edward sighed exasperatedly.

"Well, it came from something, didn't it?" I pointed out.

"Yes, but-" Edward began to argue.

"No, Edward," I insisted firmly. "You have to have a soul to have a soul mate. You have to have a soul to be in love," I finished softly. Edward stared down at me, wide-eyed, as if having an important epiphany. And then a grin spread across his lovely face, and he took my hand, kissing it lightly.

"Then I suppose I must have a soul," he whispered affectionately. I blushed at his implied declaration, unable to look away from his eyes.

"Me, too," I murmured, unable to come up with a more profound response. Edward chuckled, looking at the sky and releasing me from his hypnotic stare. I followed his gaze, looking toward the clouds. "It's going to rain," I predicted disappointedly.

"So?" Edward grinned impishly, pulling me closer to him and laying back on the grass, bringing me down to rest my head against his chest. I closed my eyes, sighing contentedly, and felt him do the same.

Edward's fingers ran through my hair, effectively relaxing me. His hand traveled to my neck, stroking it lightly and making me shiver. I felt him chuckle beneath me before continuing down the side of my throat, to my collarbone. His hand was barely touching the skin of my arm as it traveled past my wrist, opening my hand to brush his fingers lightly against my palm. His index finger burned a trail up the inside of my arm, stopping at me elbow and doubling back to my wrist. I concentrated on exhaling as his light fingers trailed up to my neck.

A drop of rain fell directly onto his nose, just then. A few more drops of calm rain fell upon us before it started pouring. My hair was drenched within seconds, and I sat up, laughing. I turned to Edward, and my breath caught at the sight of him. His skin shone with the diamond drops that covered his skin, and his hair glistened brightly, falling into his eyes. The topaz pools were full of happiness, excitement. A crooked smile dominated the left side of his face as he stared down at my dazed expression.

"Bella?" he murmured, concerned after I hadn't moved or spoken in a while. I just sat and looked at him. That was all I wanted to do. "Bella?" he repeated, a worried expression spreading across his features. He waved a hand in front of my face and I jumped, snapping out of my reverie.

"What?" I asked, irritated that he had interrupted my ogling.

"Are you going to be alright?" Edward inquired, chuckling.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," I told him confidently.

"I think we should probably get going. My family probably doesn't know I'm here…well, maybe except for Alice," he allowed, rolling his eyes. I smiled sadly, not wanting this day to end. "We'll do this again, okay?" Edward said softly, reading my expression perfectly.

"Soon?" I asked firmly, attempting to stare him down.

"Soon," he grinned, taking my hand and pulling me up as he stood. Edward smiled sweetly down at me before taking off, running as fast as he could. I kept up with little effort, my footsteps falling into sync with his. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him glance down at me a few times, eyeing me nervously and longingly, before returning his gaze to the path we ran on.

"What?" I finally asked, catching him in the act.

"Nothing," he claimed, shaking his head quickly and turning away. But as soon as my eyes strayed off of his, his would wander back to my face.

Edward's gaze was much more distracting than it should have been, and I found myself coming close to falling numerous times, catching myself at the last second.

"Okay!" I finally yelled after almost tumbling over a tiny twig. I slowed and halted, still holding Edward's hand. "What are you staring at?" It was a stupid question to ask, as I already knew the answer, but I wanted an explanation.

"You," he answered simply, pulling on my arm to bring me close to him, spinning me around and pinning me against a large tree. He stared into my eyes for a millisecond before bending down and pressing his lips firmly to my own, more confident than any of his others.

I thanked that tiny twig I almost fell over for making me stop.

BEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBE

It was really hard to get any writing done with our family in town, but I couldn't disappoint all those reviews! And if I get MANY MANY MANY more, I may just be able to squeeze in some time to type up another one!


	12. Secret

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Chapter 12: Secret

We emerged from the trees still hand in hand, slowing to an uncertain pace as the house came into view. I glanced up at him to see him staring back at me, confirming the suspicion that he was thinking the same thing I was.

"Should we tell…?" I trailed off.

"Alice probably knows already. And if she hasn't told Jasper already, he'll figure it out with his gift. The rest of them will have no idea. And I'm thinking we may want to keep it that way. Just for a few days. You have no idea how annoying Emmett can be when he can get inside your head. Literally," he added darkly.

"So…you don't want to tell anyone?" I asked, seeking confirmation.

"I don't want you to have to deal with the wrath of my family quite yet," he told me, his golden eyes sincere.

"You mean they'll be mad?" I asked, hurt.

"No!" he protested quickly. "No, no, they'll be happy. So extremely, _annoyingly _happy," Edward stressed. "Honestly. They've always thought I was lonely and incomplete, that I was missing something." Edward thought for a moment, his serious eyes searching mine. "They were right, of course," he informed me as if it was obvious. "But I didn't know what I was missing then. I hadn't met you," he murmured affectionately. I smiled slightly, blushing.

"So," I started softly. "We'll wait awhile to tell them?"

"Yes," he grinned.

"I don't see how it would make them any less annoying if we waited, though," I pointed out, confused.

"They won't be," he admitted reluctantly.

"Then why…?" I trailed off, thinking hard. Edward stared down at me nervously, running a hand through his hair.

"I don't want…" he started, then stopped taking abruptly, sighing, holding my eyes.

"What?" I asked, concerned.

"They're going to be so…pushy, Bella. They'll put pressure on us. On you. They've wanted me to find someone for many years," he explained. "I don't want them to push you into a serious relationship with me if your heart isn't in it. I don't want you to feel like we have to be together forever just because of my family. I want you to do what _you _want to do. I want you to be happy," he rambled, his eyes troubled as they bore into mine. He looked away sadly, staring into the forest.

"Edward," I called sternly. "Edward, look at me," I demanded when he continued to stare at the trees. His face turned slowly to mine, his expression still thoughtful and grieving. "I _am _happy. I'm happy right now. Because you're here. With me. We don't have to tell them yet if you don't think we're ready, but don't keep anything from your family because you think that's what I would want. I want you to be happy, too, you know," I finished quietly.

"But they'll be talking about marriage and-" Edward started to protest, but I cut him off before he could go on.

"Fine. Let them talk. If it doesn't mean anything to you, it doesn't mean anything to me," I assured him.

"Can we wait just a couple of days? Until you're sure you want to be in any relationship with me at all?" he suggested.

"If it would make you happy," I smiled, leaning up and kissing his cheek. I grinned as we walked to his house, wondering how one person could worry so much and overanalyze what one decision could do, in just one five-minute run.

I released his hand as we reached the door. He glanced at me confusedly, then comprehension lit up his face and he smiled slightly. I couldn't help but think how fun it would be to sneak around, trying to keep this a secret for the next few days.

Edward entered the house cautiously, holding the door open for me as he glanced around the room for any other occupants. He closed the door quietly behind me, heading toward the stairs. We only reached the second flight before we were intercepted by none other than Alice and Jasper. They stood at the top of the stairs, Alice with arms crossed, Jasper with an apologetic expression plastered to his face. Alice nodded toward her room, turning and leading us through the door.

I glanced nervously up at Edward, only to see him nod at Alice. They were having a silent conversation, leaving Jasper and I to wonder. _There are other people in the room, you know, _I thought at Edward, glaring in his direction. He turned to me apologetically, raising his hand toward Alice to tell her to stop talking to him through her thoughts.

"Sorry," he claimed. I nodded.

"So, you two are…" Alice trailed off suggestively, an evil grin on her face.

"Yes, Alice, we are," Edward said firmly, taking a step closer to me and entwining my fingers with his. I smiled in spite of myself, realizing that I had missed the feeling of his hand in mine over the past five minutes.

A smile that seemed too big for Alice's face dominated her features as she beamed at us, bouncing slightly. "Yay!" she screeched excitedly. "I knew it! I knew this would happen, even before I saw it! You came home and she wasn't dead, but that was…impossible. She was your singer, Edward; her open wounds were so close to you. You couldn't have been able to resist if there wasn't some connection between you two. A strong one." Her eyes gleamed as she stared at our hands together.

"This is so great!" she blabbed, bouncing over to hug us both at once.

"Thanks, Alice," I said appreciatively.

"Congratulations, you guys," Jasper added from his seat on the bed. I winked at him over Alice's shoulder.

"Alice," Edward began seriously.

"Hmm?" she hummed happily, turning to him expectantly.

"Don't say anything," he commanded simply.

"What?" Alice's face fell noticeably. "Why not?"

"Esme's been looking for a mate for me for as long as I can remember. I don't want her or anyone else pressuring Bella to move faster than she feels comfortable," he insisted sternly.

"Edward, she doesn't-" Alice started, looking at me and rolling her eyes. I grinned exasperatedly.

"No, Alice. I'm not going to take that chance. Bella can make her own choices without my family leaning her in either direction," Edward stared Alice down for a moment before I decided that Alice needed a bit more persuasion.

_He's worried I'll get freaked and leave or something,_ I thought, only at Alice. _Just bear with him for a few days. Please?_ I smiled slightly at her subtle nod.

"Please, Alice," Edward begged.

"Fine. A week. And then I'm telling them all. And both of you are coming shopping in a few days," she grinned evilly, satisfied with her price.

"Deal," Edward agreed, shaking her hand. "Let's go," He grabbed my hand as he left the room, heading up the stairs.

We reached his room and he turned around, smiling. "Thanks for your help in there," he said slyly.

"What?" I asked innocently, confused. "I didn't say anything."

"You're really going to have to learn to focus that power of yours," he advised before capturing my lips with his.

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Sorry it took me so long to update! I'll try to be faster…. if I'm convinced that you people actually want me to be, that is. You keep reviewing, I'll keep writing.


	13. Hiding

Disclaimer: Stephenie's

Chapter 13: Hiding

Only two days had passed, and already the weight of lying was wearing on me. Lying was certainly not my forte. No one seemed at all suspicious so far, though, and Alice was keeping up her side of the agreement. Edward seemed much more content than I was about the current situation.

"I just don't see the point," I mumbled, slumping onto the couch in Edward's room. We had had numerous arguments extremely similar to this one over the course of the last few days. He insisted that telling him family would alter our relationship for the worst.

"You don't see the point because you don't know my family like I do," he murmured softly, using his velvet voice to his advantage. He sat down next to me, resting his hand gently on my knee. I kept my eyes carefully away from him, knowing that the combination of his hand in contact with my skin and his irresistible eyes would undoubtedly push me over the edge.

"I know your family just fine," I insisted, crossing my arms over my chest like a child.

"Bella," he sighed, turning to face me and craning his neck around to try to meet my eyes. "Bella, look at me," he ordered, his voice a bit on the seductive side. I resisted the urge to follow his command, fighting to ignore his hand on my knee. I felt to couch shift beneath me as he shifted forward to whisper in my ear. "Please look at me, Bella," he urged, his lips lightly brushing my ear. I shivered.

I shook my head quickly. "Bella, they'll just make it harder," he predicted, still right at my ear. "Please don't tell them."

"Fine," I said confidently, turning to face him. "_I _won't tell them," I promised as I worked out a plan in my head. It wasn't exactly foolproof, considering the fact that I wasn't sure if I had the same effect on him that he did on me, but it was worth a try.

Edward breathed a sigh of relief before leaning forward until his lips brushed mine. I pulled away after just a few seconds, and he opened his eyes slowly, confused. I was already at the door to his room. He stared at me longingly for a moment before standing up to follow me out of the only place we were undisturbed.

"That was mean," he muttered accusingly, so quietly I almost wasn't sure he was speaking.

"What was?" I asked innocently, my voice at a normal volume. Edward looked down at me wordlessly, allowing his eyes to tell me that he wasn't very happy. I looked swiftly away, fearing that my will and my plan would crumble under his gaze.

I quickened my pace, descending the stairs as gracefully as I could manage, and I could hear Edward right behind me. We entered the living room to find Carlisle waiting for us.

"Ah, there you are," he smiled slightly. "We're having a "family meeting", I suppose you could say," he informed us, chuckling. "In the dining room."

"Okay," I muttered, suspicious. I looked up at Edward, confused. It seemed he had already been informed for the reason of the meeting, through the channel of Carlisle's thoughts.

"You'll find out soon enough," he promised glumly as we followed Carlisle to the extravagant dining room. A chandelier hung low above the unnecessary table. The entire room was unnecessary, really.

Everyone was already gathered, sitting at the table, waiting. Carlisle took a seat at the head of the table, leaving two chairs next to each other open. I couldn't help but notice that all eyes were on Edward and I as we sat down and turned to Carlisle, expectant.

"We can't stay here," he began, diving into the conversation more quickly than I had anticipated. "Bella and Edward can't risk being seen, and I'm sure they don't want to stay inside their whole lives. That's one reason. But also…" he trailed off, and judging from the expression on his face, he didn't want to go on.

Edward sighed sadly and continued for him. "I broke the treaty with the pack down at La Push. They don't know yet, but it would be best to get far away from them…just in case they're smarter than we gave them credit for. They still think the same thing the town thinks, but they're bound to catch her scent sooner or later." I gazed up at Edward in confusion. _Pack? Treaty? _I thought at him.

"There's a werewolf pack in La Push. Werewolves are built to destroy our kind. But we made a treaty with them: if we didn't come onto their land or kill or _bite_ a human, they don't attack." His voice was hard as he explained it to me, his eyes avoiding mine.

"Those are real, too?" I asked in disbelief. He smirked slightly at my reaction before meeting my gaze and nodding. "Oh," I muttered lamely.

"So," Carlisle continued. "We'll have to move. I'm not sure where to, but probably somewhere far enough away that there would be a minimal chance of the pack finding us. Alaska may be an option, but I don't want to overwhelm Bella with all the new faces. Besides, there isn't much game to go around with so many of us."

I eventually began to tune out his reasoning, since I couldn't make much sense of half of what he said. I slipped my hand under the table, resting it on Edward's thigh. I watched his eyes widen in alarm as I suppressed a smirk. I traced slow circles on his leg with my pinky finger, surprised by my own bravery.

Edward frequently cast me nervous glances as my hand continued its work on his leg. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, but the movement brought him closer to me. I considered talking to him through my thoughts, but thought better of it, since I had not yet mastered my power. I glanced at Edward to see that his jaw was tightly clenched and his eyes were glued to the ceiling.

Carlisle eventually stopped talking, and Edward was up like a shot as soon as the last word had left Carlisle's mouth. "Excuse me," he muttered.

I feigned confusion. "I hope he's okay," I said to the others, trying to sound concerned. "I'll go check on him." I rose from my seat, ignoring Alice's taunting smirk.

As soon as I was through the door to Edward's room and the door was securely shut, his mouth was mine. He pushed me up against the wall, his hands on my waist. I grinned into the kiss, satisfied with his reaction to the beginning of my plan. Edward eventually pulled away, panting. "Why did you do that?" he demanded breathlessly, staring down at me with confusion.

"Do what?" I tried to look as innocent as possible, widening my eyes. He crushed his lips to mine once again before responding.

"You know what. You drive me crazy, Bella, do you realize that?" His eyes smoldered down at me and I flushed, casting my eyes downward. "I was _so _close to snapping down there. That was way too risky, Bella," he scolded. I stared up at him, smiling mischievously, waiting for him to catch on.

"Oh," he whispered finally, his voice full of realization. "You won't win this, Bella, you won't break me." His voice shook- the confidence in his declaration was low.

"That's what you think," I whispered, kissing the extreme corner of his mouth before turning to leave the room.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

So sorry it took me so long! Vacation!

If you ask me, you people are either going to review or you're not. Whether or not I tell you to right now is not going to make a difference. But I'll tell you anyway:

REVIEW and I'll write more.


	14. Television

Disclaimer: Stephenie's

Chapter 14: Television

Recap: "Oh," he whispered finally, his voice full of realization. "You won't win this, Bella, you won't break me." His voice shook- the confidence in his declaration was low.

"_That's what you think," I whispered, kissing the extreme corner of his mouth before turning to leave the room_.

I could barely hear him growl, "No," before his hand caught my wrist, spinning me back to his chest. His arms fastened securely around me, and a cocky grin dominated his features. He stared into my eyes for a few seconds, melting my resolve, before bending down to capture my lips with his. I didn't fight him, although my mind was screaming at me, _No! You're letting him win!_ I knew that he thought he was winning, but he was wrong.

I kissed him hard, pouring out all the desire I had felt for him ever since I had come here. He kissed me back eagerly, his index fingers hooking through the belt loops in my jeans to pull me closer. I took a step back, willing myself to not get carried away. He took a step to match mine, one of his hands leaving my hip to hold my face securely against his as I took another step backward. I heard a moan escape him as I deepened the kiss even further, distracting him as I took another step toward the door.

I pulled away from him abruptly, taking him by surprise. It only took me two steps to reach the door, and I was out like a flash, leaving Edward alone in his room. He would follow me once his thoughts caught up with him, though. I knew him well enough to realize that he wouldn't be angry with me for what I was trying to do. Scared, maybe. Helpless, probably. But not mad. He would understand my reasons. I honestly thought his family should know about us, and this was the only way I could think of making sure they found out. Other than telling them myself, which would be an extremely embarrassing experience, no doubt.

The living room was empty as I descended the stairs toward it and took a seat on the large couch, switching the television on. Edward's slow footsteps sounded from the hallway outside his room, moving to the steps. I waited patiently for him to reach me, watching a random show that I simply pretended to watch. He appeared at the foot of the stairs, his copper hair a bit wild as he ran a nervous hand through it.

He simply stared at me for a moment before crossing the room to sit next to me on the couch. "You're horrible," he informed me in a whisper, his eyes fixed on the television. I smirked as I shifted to sit closer to him so that our elbows touched. I could hear his faint gasp as Emmett entered the room, glancing at the TV and then grinning broadly.

"I love this show!" he informed us enthusiastically, sitting down on the other side of me and forcing me to press more firmly against Edward. I could tell he was working hard not to show his discomfort, but I didn't fail to notice that his jaw and fists were clenched, and he stared blankly at the TV, unseeing.

I moved my arm slowly to rest on top of his, glancing cautiously at Emmett to see if he noticed. He was completely engrossed in whatever show I had randomly selected. My fingers trailed a path down the inside of his wrist. His forearm was firm, muscled, and I couldn't help but notice when his arm tightened in response to my touch. He exhaled slowly, not looking at me.

I continued to his hand, tracing the creases of his palm lightly with the tip of the nail on my index finger. I could feel him shiver next to me, and I worked hard not to smile as I continued to trace patterns on his palm. His finger twitched slightly in anticipation as my nail made its way up his palm.

"Bella," he whispered, his voice strangled but so soft I could barely tell he was speaking. Emmett overhearing was impossibility. "Stop," he commanded. I shook my head, a movement unnoticeable to anyone not waiting for it.

His hand closed over mine, making all movement impossible. I struggled against him, but he didn't even seem to notice. I sighed, exasperated, trying to think of another weapon he wouldn't be expecting. All I could think of was my power, and that seemed a bit risky.

_Emmett?_ I thought at Edward, concentrating on keeping the thought from Emmett even though it was his own name. Edward's brow furrowed in confusion, but Emmett showed no signs that anything had been said. Or thought. _Emmett, the house is on fire._ I thought at Edward, just to be sure.

No reaction from Emmett, but I could almost see the wheels spinning frantically in Edward's mind. _Edward,_ I thought, trying to make my mind's voice sound like an appealing whisper. _Kiss me, Edward. _Edward's eyes widened. _Edward,_ I called again. _Kiss me._ I thought it more surely this time. He let go of my hand, moving to the extreme edge of the couch in an attempt to put more space between us. But there wasn't much extra space with tree people on a couch meant for two. And Emmett's large, sturdy frame didn't help Edward's cause. It did help mine, though.

I scooted closer to him, putting more room between Emmett and I. Emmett sat, watching TV, completely oblivious to what was going on between his brother and his newest sister. I wondered, suddenly, if it was possible for me to think images at Edward, rather than just sending him words. I pictured Edward kissing me in my mind, concentrating on it hard.

Now for the hard part: sending the image to him. I pictured him seeing the image, thinking about it as I was thinking about it. He stiffened. It had worked. It took a lot of effort not to smile at my victory. But I had to concentrate. Edward's posture was still rigid, and his eyes were squeezed tightly shut. I grinned, continuing to send the thought of what could happen to him:

He could just lean over, covering my mouth with his. I would kiss him back, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him closer, and Emmett would leap up in surprise but we wouldn't notice. Because we'd be preoccupied with something much more worthwhile. And it would be so _good. _And Edward would just keep kissing me and kissing me until my head spun too fast for me to keep up with…

I heard a low growl sound from Edward's chest, pulling me out of my fantasy. "Emmett, Rose wants me to tell you to go talk to her. She's in your room," Edward claimed. I didn't miss the strangled, desperate tone of his voice, but Emmett seemed to. He leapt off the couch eagerly, bounding up the stairs toward his wife, who I wasn't even sure was in the house.

As soon as Emmett was out of sight, Edward was on top of me, his mouth moving fiercely and passionately against mine. I forgot about my plan, about where we were, about the fact that I was a mythical creature, about my name. And Edward just kept kissing me and kissing me until my head spun too fast for me to keep up with…

XOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOX

Finally another chapter. Sorry, but things have been really busy lately. School just started. And I didn't get so many reviews that I felt EXTREMELY guilty, so I didn't get a chance to update very fast.

Review and I'll love you forever.


	15. Insane

Disclaimer: Not mine. Still.

A/N: Some people think Edward is getting out of character. But I really think that, if put in a situation where there was no limit to their physical relationship, aside from their moral values, this is how Edward would react. He's still a gentleman, but the fact that Bella is of the same species allows them to have a more normal relationship.

Chapter 15: Insane

Recap: And Edward just kept kissing me and kissing me until my head spun too fast for me to keep up with…

I pushed him off of me after a while, but not so long a while that he was satisfied. He stared at me with pleading eyes before leaning toward me again. My hands shot up to block my face.

"You don't want Emmett to walk in and catch us, do you?" My tone was mocking, almost mean, and I couldn't help but feel just a bit guilty. His eyes burned through mine, apologetic and gorgeous. I leaned in to give him a swift peck on the lips, just to show that I wasn't angry, that I wasn't hurt, that I was simply playing the game.

"So," I began conversationally, sliding to the opposite side of the couch, as far away from Edward as possible. "When are we moving, and where to?"

It seemed to take Edward a moment to catch up to the conversation, however brief it was so far, and form an adequate and accurate response. "We need to leave soon, for sure, and we'll probably move in to one of the houses Esme has restored. She's got them scattered all over the world, so we've got quite a choice to make." He watched my face carefully, waiting for my reaction.

"How far away?" I couldn't help but feel a bit sad at the thought of leaving this place, the place where I had met the Cullens. And the meadow. I would certainly miss the meadow.

"That's our choice. As long as our trail is covered, which it will be, since we're driving, the werewolves won't bother to follow us when they figure it all out. _If _they ever figure it out." He rolled his eyes in exaggeration at the dogs' blindness.

"So it doesn't have to be too far?" I couldn't keep the hopeful edge out of my voice.

"Just out of the state." Edward shrugged. I sighed, my mind still stuck o the thought of leaving the meadow, the place where Edward had first kissed me.

Emmett came bounding back down the stairs then, his confusion displayed for all to see. "Rose wasn't up there, man," he told Edward. "You may want to have Carlisle check up on that power of yours sometime." His voice was worried, telling us that he was truly concerned for his brother.

"Yea," Edward agreed. "I guess I've just been a bit off today."

I stopped listening after that, and concentrated on my master plan. My hand strayed to the inside of Edward's forearm and traced tiny, consistent circles. I noticed after a moment that I had not had to cut my fingernails since I had been changed. Or my hair, for that matter. I excused it as a vampirism as I moved on to his hand.

My finger traced a line straight up his pinky finger, and he stopped speaking mid-sentence. He exhaled slowly and loudly before picking the conversation back up, turning to Emmett and continuing on. This earned him an odd, suspicious glance from Emmett.

"Edward?" Emmett began cautiously, watching his brother's every move. I pulled my arm back into my own lap as the burly vampire took in everything about his crazy brother, from his skull down to his feet. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Edward sighed, casting me a frustrated glance. "I suppose talking to Carlisle couldn't hurt anything. Come on, Bella, let's go." His tone was painfully fake, the tone of a horrible actor trying to portray enthusiasm. He stood and took a few steps before realizing that I wasn't following him. "Come on, Bella, let's go," he repeated, seizing my hand and dragging me up the stairs.

I turned around to give Emmett a sympathetic stare, twirling my finger next to my head to indicate the fact that yes, I did agree with him, Edward was going insane. A small growl could be heard from Edward as he saw my actions through Emmett's mind. He sped up, pulling me up the stairs at top speed.

We ended up in his room, nowhere near Carlisle's office. He had me pinned against the wall before I could even register where we were. He leaned close to me, his breath mingling with mine. His scorching eyes were mere centimeters from mine, which only made them that much more intense. That much more frightening. That much more lovely.

"Why, Bella?" His voice, usually velvety smooth, was low and husky. He looked me straight in the eye, demanding a response.

"Your family deserves to know," I pointed out, making my voice as strong ad sure as possible under the circumstances. He exhaled in exaggeration, sending me reeling. I shuddered, and he noticed. A slight smirk flitted across his face for just a moment.

"But why this way? Can't you just wait until Alice tells them?" His face was far too close to mine. I couldn't breathe.

"No," I answered simply, the only word I could form without growing breathless.

"Why?" His eyes were wide and curious, the eyes of a child wondering why the sky is blue.

"I just…I want it to come from you. From us." I shrugged. I couldn't perfectly explain my reasoning to myself.

"But you're positively _killing _me, Bella. It's not a fair game," he complained, pulling away from me just a bit.

"How so?" I questioned.

"I can't have the affect on you that you have on me." His answer was simple, and I could see in his eyes that he honestly believed that he didn't affect me.

I scoffed, watching his eyes carefully for any signs that he was bluffing, that he was perfectly aware of the affect he had on me and just wanted to rub it in. "You know that's a lie," I accused, narrowing my eyes at him in suspicion.

"It is?" His delightedly surprised expression was too adorable not to laugh at. "So, I could, for example, _persuade _you to stop it with the games? Hypothetically?" And evil glint came to his eye as he watched realization, then regret, and then fear cross my face.

"No," I managed to choke out. "That would never work."

"Bella," he whispered, leaning closer to me and fixing his eyes on mine. His hands moved to my shoulders, then traveled down my arms. His eyes stayed locked on mine all the while, evaluating my expression. His hands wrapped around my wrists, pinning them firmly to the wall at my sides.

He was reluctant to break our gaze, but he did, bending his head down to drag his lips down my neck. His breath on my skin was unbearable. "Edward," I breathed.

"Say you'll stop the games," he commanded, his words contorted as he mumbled them into my neck.

"No." I was surprised that I was still able to say that word.

"Say it," he repeated, lifting his head up to look me in the eye. His face was just inches from mine, and I took advantage of our proximity, bobbing my head forward and capturing his lips in one fell swoop.

Edward instantly gave up, his hands releasing my wrists and his eyes drooping closed.

It was amazing, how convincing one little kiss could be.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

I know it took me FOREVER for me to update, but please, please keep reading! The next chapter will be up much, much sooner! Much, much, _much _sooner if I get enough reviews!


	16. Convinced

I changed a few things in this chapter...i really didn't like some parts of it, so...

Someone suggested that I post an overview of the entire story so far along with this chapter, since it took so unreasonably long for me to update the chapter before this. If you remember the entire story, there's no reason to read this:

Summary: on her first day in Forks, a car hits Bella and Edward finds her. He changes her for reasons he can't explain. He just couldn't watch her die. He explains everything about vampirism over the course of a few weeks. After an incident at the baseball field, things between Edward and Bella grow awkward. A trip to the meadow reveals all of their feelings: Edward's regret for taking her soul, her belief that he really didn't, and the mutual attraction. A first kiss is followed by the decision to wait to tell the rest of the Cullens, at least for a while. Alice already knows, and decides to give them just a little bit of time. And they owe her a shopping trip. Bella decides she wants to tell the family before Alice does, but Edward wants to wait because he thinks that his family's pushiness will have a negative effect on their relationship. Bella tries to convince Edward by taking advantage of how crazy he is about her. All she has to do is touch his arm, and his entire thought process is ruined.

That pretty much wraps it up.

Chapter 16: Convinced

_Recap:__ "Say it," he repeated, lifting his head up to look me in the eye. His face was just inches from mine, and I took advantage of our proximity, bobbing my head forward and capturing his lips in one fell swoop._

_Edward instantly gave up, his hands releasing my wrists and his eyes drooping closed._

_It was amazing, how convincing one little kiss could be_.

My arms rose to wrap around his neck, my fingers fiddling with the baby hairs at the back of his neck. I felt him shiver, his arms winding around my waist and pulling me tightly against him. He took a step forward, pressing me against the wall. After a while, he pulled away hesitantly, panting. His eyes were squeezed shut and he leaned firmly against me, as if he couldn't hold himself up on his own.

"Oh, God, Bella," he breathed after a while in silence. "It's scary, what you can do to me. How…how you make me feel."

"How do I make you feel?" I asked, my voice merely a whisper. His eyes flickered open, burning into mine as he thought my question through.

"Terrified." His voice was incredibly quiet, and I couldn't help but be a bit offended at his answer.

"You're afraid of me?" My voice didn't even begin to conceal how hurt I was. But he shook his head, his hair waving back and forth against my face.

"No, Bella. Not terrified _of _you." He sighed as he tried to come up with a way to explain. "I feel like I'm a human who's tasting water for the first time. And I know I need more. And I know I'll always need more, as long as I live. So I'm terrified of my life going back to the way it was, when I was dying of thirst but I didn't know it," he whispered, staring down at me. His eyes blazed with admiration, but there was something else there, something under the surface. Insecurity. As if he honestly thought that I _would _leave him. Like I actually _could. _He looked away from me, at the wall just to my right.

"Edward," I whispered, stroking his hair. He bent his head backward, leaning into my touch. "You don't honestly think that, do you? That I'll be out of your life?"

"You could do so, _so _much better, Bella. You're a better person than I am. I don't deserve-"

"We are _not _having this conversation again. I couldn't do better. There's no such thing as better for me. You're it." I glared up at him harshly, trying to make him believe me. I leaned toward him, trying to join our lips together again. His hands pressed against my back, pulling me closer to him, but he turned his head away from me. "Honestly, Edward, you're ridiculous. I love you. Get used to it." Butterflies filled my stomach as I realized what I had just said for the first time. Edward's eyes widened for a moment, then snapped tightly shut.

"Do you?" His voice was breathless with anticipation, his eyes squeezed tightly shut, and I could feel his hands clench into fists at my waist in anticipation.

"Yes," I whispered, staring straight at his face. He had to believe me. A goofy grin automatically lit up his face, but his eyes were still closed.

"Say it again," he commanded in a whisper.

"I love you, Edward," I repeated, realizing how unbelievably true it was. He let out an incredulous breath, opening his eyes to stare at me, looking so happy.

"Again." There were no underlying emotions in his face, nothing mischievous. Just pure joy.

"I love you." I smiled up at him, trying not to laugh at how surprised he looked. As if he didn't already know that I was head over heels for him. He stared at me for a moment, deliberating, before seizing my hand and pulling me to the doorway.

"Come on," he called over his shoulder as he marched down the hallway with determination.

"Come where?" I asked, unsure, though I knew I would follow him no matter where he was going.

"To tell my family." He looked back over his shoulder at me, smiling sincerely.

"Really?" My voice rose a few octaves with hope. He nodded. "Thank you, Edward."

He didn't respond, but I could see the grin on his face, even from behind. His footsteps picked up speed as we reached Carlisle's office.

"Can we call a family meeting, Carlisle?" Edward asked, respect clear in his voice.

"Now?" Carlisle asked with curiosity, already rising out of his chair.

"As soon as possible," Edward confirmed.

"Now, it is." Carlisle smiled at us, and I didn't fail to notice the glance he cast at our hands entwined.

Just minutes later, the entire family had gathered around the oversized dining room table, staring at Edward and I expectantly.

I laid my hand on Edward's arm, leaning in to whisper in his ear. "If you don't want to do this…" I trailed off, suddenly feeling guilty for making him do something he didn't want to do.

"I do, Bella. As long as you're sure _you _do." He stared down at me, watching my face critically. I smiled.

"I do." The words being said were too familiar. Too many chick flicks.

"Guys? Can this be quick? I was just about to beat Jasper wrestling." Emmett shifted with impatience, but Jasper simply sat with an annoyingly cocky grin directed at me. He knew exactly what was about to happen, and how uncomfortable Edward and I were feeling at that moment.

I heard Edward take a deep breath before he opened his mouth to speak. "Bella and I are…." His face contorted as he thought about what to say. "Me and Bella, we…we've been…well, see, Bella and I…" He sighed in frustration, looking around at the blank faces of each of his family members. He opened his mouth, closed it again, then turned to me, pulling me closer to him and planting a perfect storybook kiss right on my mouth. I pulled away sooner than usual, anxious to see his family's reaction.

Emmett, his mind completely straying from wrestling, was staring at me blankly, his mouth hanging open. Rosalie looked pleased, and she immediately took a step forward to hug me. Then she turned to Edward.

"Don't screw this up," she said to him, her voice portraying the sheer simplicity of the task.

Neither Carlisle nor Esme looked very surprised, but Esme ran to kiss me swiftly on the cheek before turning to hug her son. I was sure that she would have been tearing up if she could.

"Dude…" We heard Emmett's dazed voice coming from the couch as his gaze shifted to Edward. "Creepy." He seemed to be the only person who didn't predict the situation.

Alice and Jasper stood up to hug us, smiling smugly. "You owe me a shopping trip," Alice reminded us, wagging a finger in my face.

"A short one, though. We didn't use our entire week," Edward protested hurriedly, wide-eyed.

"Fine. A short one," Alice agreed, before turning and marching up the stairs. She turned back when she was about halfway up. "Jasper? You coming?"

"Actually," he responded softly. "I think I've got a wrestling match to finish." Emmett's head snapped up as he finally exited his dreamland.

"Let's go," he challenged, standing to face Jasper.

"I think we'll just step out now," Edward informed his family, tugging on my hand and staring nervously at his brothers.

"Us, too," Carlisle agreed, heading for the kitchen with Esme and Rose in tow.

"Congratulations, you two!" Esme added quickly.

"Thank you, Esme." I was surprised to hear relief in Edward's tone.

Edward raced up the stairs, pulling me along behind him. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" I questioned softly as we entered his room.

"That was terrible," he responded sarcastically, grinning. "You owe me _big_." That mischievous glint was in his eye.

"Do I really?" I countered, doubt clear in my voice. I didn't move when he took a predatory step toward me. The next thing I knew, his hands were framing my face, his eyes boring down into mine.

"Yes," he confirmed in a whisper. "You do." He leaned toward me, closing the space between us until our lips just barely touched. "Oh, and Bella?" he murmured, teasing me as his lips moved against mine.

"Hmm?" I hummed, curious as to what he had to say, but finding it difficult to concentrate on anything but his lips brushing my own.

"I love you, too," he whispered fiercely, finally kissing me for real.

AWWWAWWWAWWWAWWWAWWWAWWWAWWWAWWWAWWW

You've got to admit, that was much, _much _quicker than the last chapter! Review if you have any comments, questions, ideas…. anything! Constructive criticism is welcome.


	17. When the Dogs Won't Be Out

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

Chapter 17: "When the Dogs Won't Be Out"

_Recap:__ "I love you, too," he whispered fiercely, finally kissing me for real_.

I should have known he was about to say it, but it took me entirely by surprise. I didn't trust my vampire hearing. I pulled away from him, my eyes wide.

"What did you say?" I asked, breathless.

"I said I love you, Bella," Edward grinned, his eyes twinkling.

"Really?" My voice was extremely dubious. There was no possible way something that was so extraordinary as Edward could love someone like me.

"You sound like you don't believe me," he chuckled, a nervous edge to his tone. His eyes searched mine as I looked away from him, down at my bare feet. "Bella?" He sounded almost scared. "You believe me, right?" I sighed, looking at him, trying to think of what to say.

"Edward, you don't have to say that you love me just because I told you I love you." My tone was serious, almost sad.

"Bella, you're crazy." Edward stared at me as if I was a foreign object, an alien of some sort. "Tell me you're joking."

I shook my head. "It just…doesn't make sense for you to love me," I explained quietly.

"I don't care what makes sense, Bella. I love you. That's it. That's all I know now." His voice was unbearably soft, coming from his angelic lips like a song. He stared at me apprehensively, his eyes searching mine. "Believe me, Bella," he murmured. "Please."

And I did. I couldn't help but trust him as he held me captive with those eyes of his. An involuntary grin spread across my face. "Okay," I consented, pecking him on the lips.

"Good," he breathed in relief. "Now, don't go thinking that I forgot that you owe me big." He may not have forgotten, but the wave of emotion had wiped all thought out of my head.

"I do? For what?" I asked, this time not needing to fake an innocent tone.

"For _forcing _me to tell my family about us. It was painful, Bella. I had no idea what to say," he complained, stroking my hair and then cupping my neck in his large hand.

"Oh, yes," I remembered. "I seem to recall that the always articulate Edward Cullen was a loss for words," I teased.

"Only you can do that to me," he admitted as he pulled my face up to meet his. He kissed me tenderly, softly. It was a kiss different from all our others in the sense that we now both knew that we were in love.

I was vaguely aware of the sound of the sound of a pair of feet approaching, and Edward stopped kissing me for a moment, but neither of us thought it important enough to put our current activities on hold. _Probably not important,_ I thought to him, my first time using my power while I was this distracted. Edward nodded, not detaching my mouth from his own.

It hadn't been thirty seconds more before Alice knocked lightly on the door, much to my surprise. It wasn't like her to knock. Edward moaned in longing, taking a step away from me and opening the door to Alice's smug face. An annoying smirk was painted across her face.

"Honestly, Alice, if this isn't important, I'll-" Edward growled in frustration.

"Oh, get over yourself, Edward, you don't scare me. Start packing. Carlisle wants to leave tonight. Sometime when the dogs won't be out." She talked about it with such an air of normality-it amazed me. We were talking about _werewolves, _after all, but it went on like a normal conversation between the two of them.

"Fine. Bella and I call the Volvo!" he added hastily as she danced out of the room.

"Oh, silly Edward. As if I would drive _that_," I managed to hear her mumble. "You two still owe me a shopping trip! Don't forget!" Her mischievous giggle rang through the hall as Edward turned to me.

"So," he started awkwardly, knowing that I wasn't a big fan of leaving. "Are you…are you mad?" His tone was adorably worried, as if he thought I was angry with him, specifically.

"No," I sighed, smiling wistfully. "I guess I just…I'll sort of miss this place, that's all."

"We've got a few hours before we need to start packing, Bella. Is there anywhere you'd like to go, to say goodbye…?" he hinted, knowing full well exactly where I was dying to go.

"Could we, Edward? Could we go back to the meadow?" Memories of our first trip to the meadow came flashing back to me: kissing him, holding his hand, agreeing that we were meant to be. I prayed I would never forget how I felt in those few hours.

"If you want to, Bella, we can go right now and stay for a few hours. We just can't lose track of time. The wolves will find out soon, most likely. Alice hasn't had any visions about them, so nothing life changing can be coming our way," he assured me with confidence.

"Let's go, then," I declared with excitement, taking his hand in mine and leading the way out the door and down the stairs at a vamipric speed. We stepped out the back door into a thunderstorm; wind lashed at the trees and rain battered the rocks, but nothing could stop us from taking our last excursion to the place that belonged to us and only us.

As we reached the outskirts of the forest, we both paused, glancing at each other, knowing that we were thinking the same thing. "Race?" Edward asked, exhilaration coloring his tone.

I gave a slight nod, taking off running before he could register it. "Go!" I called over my shoulder, smirking. Edward and I arrived in our paradise in a matter of minutes, both laughing.

"You cheated," Edward accused, feigning an accusatory glare. I shrugged, and he bent toward me to place a kiss on my cheek.

"Ugh, Edward. You smell," I noted, surprised. He had never smelled bad to me before. His eyes widened while his nostrils flared. He picked up the scent as well.

"Bella, it's one of them. Run."

Just a reminder: This takes place before Alice realizes she can't see the werewolves in her visions. The Cullens still expect a timely warning before any danger with the wolves ensues.

I love you guys so much! Please review if you have any ideas or requests or ANYTHING! I love reviews!


	18. As Rain in Forks

Chapter 18: As Rain in Forks

Disclaimer: Stephenie's

_Recap: "Bella, it's one of them. Run."_

So I ran. Fast. Edward had a firm hold on my hand, pulling me faster than I usually ran. I never stumbled, to my surprise, but I didn't have time to be happy about that.

"Call your family! Tell them they know," I suggested as we ran.

"They don't know yet, Bella," he responded, pulling out his phone and dialing anyway. "One of them was there before us. They were probably close by, though. If they picked up our scent…we don't have much time." The look on his face was what scared me most. The fear in his eyes was heartbreaking.

"Alice?" he asked, bringing the phone to his ear. "They were there, in our meadow. I don't know why, but if they pick up her scent…tell Carlisle we've got to leave now. Get a head start. Bella and I will be right behind you." A pause, and then, "No, Alice, don't wait for us. I only picked up one of their scents. Black, I think. I'm not sure when he started phasing, but…yes, we're almost at the house. Leave the keys on the counter, have Emmett pack the Volvo for me. Because he's faster, Alice. Leave now. Please." He hung up then, still running, his pace never slowing or faltering throughout the entire conversation.

"They're leaving now, right?" I asked anxiously.

"All of them except Emmett and Rosalie…just in case we need their help. If the dogs catch up to us," he said darkly, running a bit faster. I could see the break in the endless trees now, telling me that we were close.

We entered the house, slowing down a bit. Most of the furniture remained, but nothing else. Edward jogged straight to the kitchen counter, then took the keys from the counter with his free hand- the one that didn't have a firm grip on my own.

He turned to me, pulling me closer to him immediately. "Bella, listen to me," he commanded, taking my face in his hands. "He was behind us. His name is Jacob Black, and he's a new werewolf. Very new. He's not very fast yet, or good at fighting, I'm guessing. If he catches up to us, I need you to run, okay?" The look in his face was desperate, pleading.

"No, Edward. I'm not leaving without you," I replied firmly.

His eyes blazed. "Yes. You are. I love you, Isabella Swan, and I refuse to see you get hurt." He leaned down swiftly, crushing my lips to his for just a second. "Let's go. Hurry."

We sprinted to the car, and we had pulled out of the driveway before thirty seconds had passed. "He's behind us," Edward murmured as we sped away from the house. I turned in my seat, and I didn't need to look far to see a large, russet-colored wolf running in the middle of the street. It stared back at me for a while before slowing down, then turning back, then trotting back into the forest slowly.

"He knows you," Edward said suddenly, his tone astonished.

"What?" I couldn't remember anything about a Jacob.

"His father, Billy Black and your father…they're pretty good friends. He must've put the pieces together…we said you and I eloped, but then he picked up my scent, plus a new one. I'm not sure, but I think he may know that I can hear what he's thinking. He doesn't want anything to do with killing Charlie's kid. He can't keep it from his pack, though. There are no secrets, he says. He's thinking that he's sorry, and that he hopes this car can go faster than it is now." Edward's tone was curious, but not panicked, and his ryes were a bit less worried than they were minutes ago. He pushed a bit harder on the gas pedal, though. "I think he may try to buy us some time. I guess he respects your father quite a bit. To go against his pack…that's rare."

"Thank God for you, Jacob Black." I mumbled under my breath. "The rest of your family…how far ahead are they?" I inquired, looking over Edward's breathtaking profile as his gaze remained locked on the road ahead.

"_Our_ family isn't too far away. They only left a couple minutes before us. Once we're out of town, we'll be much safer. They can't follow our scent if we're in a car. Besides, knowing Forks, it will rain soon." A confident smile lit up his face for a moment, and my entire body relaxed.

"Where are we going, again?" I asked, curious as to where our new home would be.

"This little group of houses not too far from Washington. Esme designed and decorated four of them, and we bought them after she finished. You and I will share one, Emmett and Rose another, Jasper and Alice-"

"Yeah, I think I get the idea," I interrupted, laughing, although I was having a hard time controlling the butterflies in my stomach at the thought of sharing a house with Edward, alone. He cast a sideways glance in my direction, probably thinking the same thing I was.

"About school," Edward started. "I think you should wait awhile to start up again…when you do, I'll go with you, but we should wait a year or two…just because of the bloodlust," he explained.

"Fine by me," I responded cheerfully. And it was. The more time with Edward without school as an interruption, the better.

"Me, too," he agreed, grinning.

We were both relatively quiet for the remainder of the short drive. It would've been awkward if it weren't for the music he had playing.

Just a few hours later, we pulled into a long gravel driveway-one of four in a row. The winding path reminded me of the driveway of his old house. The car screeched to a stop in front of a beautiful stucco house, smaller than his previous one but bigger than Charlie's.

Edward turned to me as I stared at the glorious structure. "Welcome home, Miss Swan," he whispered, laying a kiss on my cheek. I turned to him with a smile.

"It's beautiful," I complimented. Edward stepped out of the car to come around and open my door for me.

"I'm glad you like it." His tone was pleased and relieved as he took my hand, leading me to the door. We stepped inside, to a dimly lit room. The curtains were all drawn and the couches covered in dusty white sheets.

We worked together to uncover each piece of furniture, and with each couch or table or chair that was revealed, I found myself gasping. All of it was so lovely.

An hour later, Edward and I sat down on the largest couch, content. He turned to me silently, taking my hand and pulling it to his face as he leaned toward me. His lips touched mine gently, just barely moving. He pulled away after just a second to stare at me, a concerned glint in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" I whispered.

"Bella, you know that, if you wanted….if you decided you were wrong about…if you realized that you didn't want to…live like…" He was speaking unbearably slowly, and his stuttering words gave me an uneasy feeling.

"Spit it out, Edward," I demanded impatiently. Then, at the broken look on his face, I added, "Please."

"I just wanted to know that, if you changed your mind about me, or the way my family and I live…I just need you to know that you're not…obligated to stay w-"

"Are you kidding?" I asked, dubious. "I thought you were smarter than that, Edward Cullen. To think that _I _would leave _you? Voluntarily?_ You're insane, I swear you are."

"Seriously, Bella. Please don't stay just to…make me happy or spare my feelings. Only stay if it's what you really want," he insisted, staring at the hardwood floor.

"Edward, look at me." He obliged. "Do you understand that I love you?" I asked, a bit condescendingly.

"I understand that you think you love me," he replied carefully. "But you're so young, Bella. I'm positive you don't love me like I love you." As sad as his tone was, his words angered me.

"You think that because I haven't been alive as long as you have I can't _love you?!_" I demanded, standing.

"Not that you can't love me, Bella. Just that…I've lived so long without you…all by myself, and now that I've met you, I can appreciate the diff-"

"You think I don't appreciate you?" My voice rose in pitch with each word.

He sighed, frustrated with himself…or perhaps with me. "Please, Bella. Don't take it as an insult. I'm just telling you that I love you more than you know. More than I can say. And I just can't imagine that anyone…especially someone as good as you…could see me in the same light I see you," he explained slowly, his eyes latched on mine. "So I want you to be happy, and if what makes you happy doesn't involve me, then I want you to leave. But if I can take any part in making you as happy as you can be, then please, _please_ stay and let me. Let me love you. Forever." He stopped talking, then stared at me nervously, waiting for me to speak.

"Edward," I whispered, my voice catching on the beautiful word that defined a beautiful person. "You take the _only_ part in making me as happy as I can be," I assured him with a small smile. He let out a long breath, smiled and then seemed to think of something.

"Bella, I…please don't get mad or offended or anything, okay?" he requested anxiously. I nodded. "I know that it'll be hard for you…adjusting to everything, but I'm not sure I can wait much longer without knowing if you're mine." He paused, then knelt and took one of my hands in both of his. "Will you marry me?" His voice broke with emotion and his eyes gleamed up at me, ready and waiting for rejection.

I opened my mouth, prepared to say no, to tell him again about my parents' short-lived, miserable marriage. But then I realized that it was inevitable. Him and I. As inevitable as rain in Forks. And there seemed to be no use in trying to delay it, or stop it. Because not only was it inevitable. It was meant to be.

And so, just as the cold, terrible word 'no' was about to leave my lips, I revised and said, "Yeah. Yeah, it looks like I will."

The smile Edward rewarded me with was absolutely radiant. He reached into his pocket swiftly to pull out a small metal object. I wasn't sure what it was at first, but then it dawned on me. "Whoa!" I shouted, shocked, as I jumped out of my seat and removed my hand from his. "I thought this was a spur-of-the-moment proposal," I objected. Edward's face fell.

"It was," he replied.

"Then why do you have a ring already?" I challenged.

"Esme saw it coming. About a month after we met, she gave me this. It was hers as a human. I've kept it with me ever since, because I…I was afraid the right moment would come and I wouldn't have it…Are you okay?" he added worriedly, seeing the look on my face.

"If she already knew, she probably told Carlisle, and Jasper and Alice knew, and so did Rosalie, most likely, and she could've told Emmett. How come you didn't want to tell your family if they already knew?" I asked him curiously.

"Well, they all knew, but they never acknowledged it. I didn't want them to start talking about it and freaking you out…Besides, Alice told me what you would do to try and get me to tell them…just the thought was irresistible." He grinned at the memory. Seconds later, his smile dropped and his eyes became very serious. "Will you wear it?" he asked me quietly.

I nodded, smiling. "Yes, Edward Cullen. I will wear your ring."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I know it's been a long time, but this chapter was longer than my others, I think.

I'm planning on doing one more chapter plus an epilogue to make it an even twenty.

Review if you have any ideas or comments or flames or criticism! Thanks so much.


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